Autumn makes me melancholy. Not sad, exactly. It just leaves me with a “grasping” feeling.
Around the beginning of August, I start to feel that I’m grasping at the lazy, hazy summer days, when we all stay up late-late, only to sleep in late-late the next morning. The days where going to the pool is the most exhausting thing we do all day…or we might go to the zoo on a weekday without worrying what the kids will miss in school. Summertime finds red-faced munchkins running through my house, looking for a popcicle, and schlumpy teenagers playing music too loud, yelling at the X-Box, and poking their heads in the pantry. Summer days, everyone always wakes up refreshed and no one is overwhelmed. Good moods abound in my house during summer vacation.
But then it’s over. We head to the store to buy notebook paper and #2 pencils, new sneakers and shirts free of playground stains. We attend Open House, meet the new school bus driver, drag out the backpacks and lunchboxes, and then I’m left wondering how my kids are yet another year older.
Then the nights start to cool down. We grab a jacket on an evening out and sleep with the windows open. The smell of burning leaves is on the air and the fireflies dwindle to none. The cornstalks turn brown, waiting to be harvested, pumpkins and gourds turn up in the grocery, and scarecrows dwell on front porches.
And then, one by one, the trees begin their betrayal. First, it’s just a lightening of the green, making me wonder if it’s really happening at all, but before I can decide I see that the poplars are half-naked, their leaves in a crackly brown skirt below them. It makes me more aware of the others, and every day I see less green and more yellow…orange...red…brown. The leaves fall off the trees at an alarming rate - an illustration of time passing.
It leaves me grasping for my youth. For college football and road trips. For tiny waists and smiles free of crow’s feet. For worries no larger than my next exam and houses no bigger than a studio. For babies I can still rock to sleep and bribe with lollipops and games.
Some people feel Time more sharply on their birthdays, but Autumn is my meter.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Monday, September 13, 2004
Thank You, PO Smith!
Good Lord! Look how 11 days passes in the blink of an eye. For all you know, I went camping 2 weekends ago and never came back. For all you know, I went hiking alone and now am lost and wandering among the sycamore trees and limestone quarries of Central Indiana, dazed and confused from a bump on the head after a particularly nasty run-in with a rabid raccoon!*
But no worries. I am Okie-Dokie. We camped without incident, and it turns out that Noodle is a Grade A Camper & Hiker! The kids absolutely had a blast. They swam in the pool...they fished on the lake for about 5 hours one morning with nary a bite...they went for a geode-hunting hike and found some beauts...they cooked over an open flame...they made s'mores (which were excellent, I might add)...and they explored a cave. After 3 days in the near-wilderness, Noodle woke up and the first words out of her mouth were, "I don't want to go home today!" Who knew? I guess maybe we need to camp more...
*Those who spent time overseas on the DOD's dime will know that I know better than to hike alone. I might not have were it not for the info-mercials on AFN. I must have seen 500 times, "Petty Officer Smith" going for a hike alone in the woods without telling anyone where he was, and then proceeding to fall off a log and break his leg. He might have died were it not for a Friendly Park Ranger who spotted his truck. The moral of the story: When you hike alone, park your SUV where someone will see it.
But no worries. I am Okie-Dokie. We camped without incident, and it turns out that Noodle is a Grade A Camper & Hiker! The kids absolutely had a blast. They swam in the pool...they fished on the lake for about 5 hours one morning with nary a bite...they went for a geode-hunting hike and found some beauts...they cooked over an open flame...they made s'mores (which were excellent, I might add)...and they explored a cave. After 3 days in the near-wilderness, Noodle woke up and the first words out of her mouth were, "I don't want to go home today!" Who knew? I guess maybe we need to camp more...
*Those who spent time overseas on the DOD's dime will know that I know better than to hike alone. I might not have were it not for the info-mercials on AFN. I must have seen 500 times, "Petty Officer Smith" going for a hike alone in the woods without telling anyone where he was, and then proceeding to fall off a log and break his leg. He might have died were it not for a Friendly Park Ranger who spotted his truck. The moral of the story: When you hike alone, park your SUV where someone will see it.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Camping
Tomorrow, Mom and Dad are taking the kids and I camping for the holiday weekend. They bought a camper-trailer-thing last spring, that sleeps 5 (6?). (I'm not sure if Dad read the fine print, but I'm sure it had to have said 5 midgets. Not 5 full-size people.)
So I should be fine.
I don't even remember the last time I was camping. High School? Before that? Girl Scouts? I don't know, but suffice it to say, "A long time. A reeeeeeeeeeeally loooooooooooong time." I am excited and alarmed at the same time.
What I DO remember, is that Every Single Time I've EVER been camping, it has rained on me. I know, everyone says that. But for me, it is Truth. Family camping trips in the tent, circa 1973. Rain. Brownie camping trips circa 1976. Rain. Junior Girl Scout camping trips circa 1978. More rain. Come to think of it, that's probably why I stopped camping.
So, dear Internet, if South-Central Indiana needs rain this weekend, please alert them that it's on the way.
S'mores.....mmmmmmm.
So I should be fine.
I don't even remember the last time I was camping. High School? Before that? Girl Scouts? I don't know, but suffice it to say, "A long time. A reeeeeeeeeeeally loooooooooooong time." I am excited and alarmed at the same time.
What I DO remember, is that Every Single Time I've EVER been camping, it has rained on me. I know, everyone says that. But for me, it is Truth. Family camping trips in the tent, circa 1973. Rain. Brownie camping trips circa 1976. Rain. Junior Girl Scout camping trips circa 1978. More rain. Come to think of it, that's probably why I stopped camping.
So, dear Internet, if South-Central Indiana needs rain this weekend, please alert them that it's on the way.
S'mores.....mmmmmmm.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Regrets
Mackenzie asked me the other day if I had any regrets.
There are so many things that I could regret.
I could regret not trying harder in school. I could have made the dean's list for all eight semesters, and not just the last three. But I don't think it would have changed my life as it is now.
I could regret some of those relationships I had during those hazy years of college. But, I had fun, and, again, no lasting repercussions.
I could regret the under-age drinking, and later recreational pot-smoking now that I have a teen myself and will be telling him that these things are the very things I want him to avoid, but, again, I turned out ok.
I could regret getting married at twenty, pregnant six-months later, and finding myself a single mom eighteen months after that. But then I wouldn't have Dillon.
I could regret marrying into the Navy and spending the next twenty years away from my family. But I can't imagine my life without Tater and subsequently, Mackenzie. I wouldn't have seen the things we've seen, been the places we've been, or met the friends we now call family.
I could regret the times that I was a less-than stellar parent. But I know I've done my best and my kids are awesome. Simply awesome.
What I do regret is one incident that happened in college. I was sitting outside on a stone bench, surrounded by other stone benches occupied by other students. Directly across from me, on the outer edge of this sitting area was an oak tree with a garbage can next to it. An Indian Summer had come to Indiana, and I was enjoying the last of summer while studying and waiting for my next class. I remember looking up from my books just in time to see a blind student tap, tap his way past a stone bench and slam right into the trashcan under the tree. My instincts made me start to get up and help, until I looked around and saw that no one, not even the kids closest to the blind student were offering help. My self-consciousness kicked in, and I realized that if I got up to help him, everyone would be looking at me (and what if my help angered him and he rejected it?). So I sat there. With everyone else, silently watching a young blind man tap-taping his way out of the maze of concrete benches he had haplessly wandered into.
That was twenty years ago. The blind boy and the other students are strangers today as they were back then and probably not one of them, including the blind boy, even remembers those few moments we shared in history. But I have played that scene over in my head, hundreds, maybe thousands, of times since. Sometimes I sit there and do nothing again. Sometimes I get up to help and draw the wrath of a proud young man. Sometimes he is very grateful for my help and gets on his way without bruising his knees on trashcans and benches. I know if I had the chance to do over, I'd make the right choice. I would get up to help him. Even if people stared at me. Even if I angered him.
And that was what I told Mackenzie, in the hope that if she ever finds herself in a similar situation someday, she will remember that this trivial incident, probably best forgotten, was my biggest regret.
There are so many things that I could regret.
I could regret not trying harder in school. I could have made the dean's list for all eight semesters, and not just the last three. But I don't think it would have changed my life as it is now.
I could regret some of those relationships I had during those hazy years of college. But, I had fun, and, again, no lasting repercussions.
I could regret the under-age drinking, and later recreational pot-smoking now that I have a teen myself and will be telling him that these things are the very things I want him to avoid, but, again, I turned out ok.
I could regret getting married at twenty, pregnant six-months later, and finding myself a single mom eighteen months after that. But then I wouldn't have Dillon.
I could regret marrying into the Navy and spending the next twenty years away from my family. But I can't imagine my life without Tater and subsequently, Mackenzie. I wouldn't have seen the things we've seen, been the places we've been, or met the friends we now call family.
I could regret the times that I was a less-than stellar parent. But I know I've done my best and my kids are awesome. Simply awesome.
What I do regret is one incident that happened in college. I was sitting outside on a stone bench, surrounded by other stone benches occupied by other students. Directly across from me, on the outer edge of this sitting area was an oak tree with a garbage can next to it. An Indian Summer had come to Indiana, and I was enjoying the last of summer while studying and waiting for my next class. I remember looking up from my books just in time to see a blind student tap, tap his way past a stone bench and slam right into the trashcan under the tree. My instincts made me start to get up and help, until I looked around and saw that no one, not even the kids closest to the blind student were offering help. My self-consciousness kicked in, and I realized that if I got up to help him, everyone would be looking at me (and what if my help angered him and he rejected it?). So I sat there. With everyone else, silently watching a young blind man tap-taping his way out of the maze of concrete benches he had haplessly wandered into.
That was twenty years ago. The blind boy and the other students are strangers today as they were back then and probably not one of them, including the blind boy, even remembers those few moments we shared in history. But I have played that scene over in my head, hundreds, maybe thousands, of times since. Sometimes I sit there and do nothing again. Sometimes I get up to help and draw the wrath of a proud young man. Sometimes he is very grateful for my help and gets on his way without bruising his knees on trashcans and benches. I know if I had the chance to do over, I'd make the right choice. I would get up to help him. Even if people stared at me. Even if I angered him.
And that was what I told Mackenzie, in the hope that if she ever finds herself in a similar situation someday, she will remember that this trivial incident, probably best forgotten, was my biggest regret.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
"Back Home Again, In Indiana..."
After over 4 years in Japan, the kids and I are slowly adjusting to life on this side of the pond...
I rarely flinch anymore when my mother pulls out into the right side of traffic, the grocery store is less overwhelming than it was that first few weeks, and it’s not weird anymore that Noodle takes the bus to and from school. I’m thinking about starting to drive again this week, kids wearing Purdue sweatshirts don’t surprise me anymore, and I don’t feel the need to eat at every American restaurant I see. Noodle has stopped mourning the loss of her old classmates and is making friends in her new class, and D is actually going to play more than 3 other teams in football this year.
On the other hand, I do keep thinking things like, “When we get back to Japan…” and “Oh! I need to tell Candi…”and “When Rachelle and I start working out again…” My brain is refusing to acknowledge that we, as a family, will never go back to the way things were. And because of this, I’ve been pondering the pros and cons of Life In Mayberry…
The great things about living in the US again:
-Needing something, walking right into Target, and buying it
-Having the choice between 10 different granola bars at the grocery store
-…and along those lines, Fresh Produce
-Signs in English
-Current movies
-American restaurants
-Not having to deal with Government Employees & Navy Rules and Regulations in my daily life
-Mail comes right to my house
-Being within 4 time zones of most of my friends and family
-Mild temperatures
-Here there are no crazy women and their drama in my backyard
-Anonymity
-No Teriyaki Burgers at McDonald’s or Azuki bean curd in donuts
Alas, there are things I miss:
-Tater…
-And unloading the day’s events together around the kitchen table
-My daily "walk-and-talk" with Rachelle
-“Candi” & “Mandi”
-Happy Hours in my front yard
-Being able to walk out my front door and, within seconds, finding a sympathetic ear or lending one
-The gentle Japanese disposition – Americans are much ruder
-Japanese bakeries
-“Taken for granted” plans with friends on Friday nights
-Japan in Autumn
-My students: Hiroko, Keiko, Ayako, and Taeko
-Not understanding stranger’s conversations in public
-Sushi
-There is a tree in Japan that blooms in September. It perfumes the entire base with the smell of apricots. I adore that smell.
-The freedom kids have in Japan
I'm proud to be an American, and so glad to be home, but I am equally proud to have called Japan my home for 4 years.
I rarely flinch anymore when my mother pulls out into the right side of traffic, the grocery store is less overwhelming than it was that first few weeks, and it’s not weird anymore that Noodle takes the bus to and from school. I’m thinking about starting to drive again this week, kids wearing Purdue sweatshirts don’t surprise me anymore, and I don’t feel the need to eat at every American restaurant I see. Noodle has stopped mourning the loss of her old classmates and is making friends in her new class, and D is actually going to play more than 3 other teams in football this year.
On the other hand, I do keep thinking things like, “When we get back to Japan…” and “Oh! I need to tell Candi…”and “When Rachelle and I start working out again…” My brain is refusing to acknowledge that we, as a family, will never go back to the way things were. And because of this, I’ve been pondering the pros and cons of Life In Mayberry…
The great things about living in the US again:
-Needing something, walking right into Target, and buying it
-Having the choice between 10 different granola bars at the grocery store
-…and along those lines, Fresh Produce
-Signs in English
-Current movies
-American restaurants
-Not having to deal with Government Employees & Navy Rules and Regulations in my daily life
-Mail comes right to my house
-Being within 4 time zones of most of my friends and family
-Mild temperatures
-Here there are no crazy women and their drama in my backyard
-Anonymity
-No Teriyaki Burgers at McDonald’s or Azuki bean curd in donuts
Alas, there are things I miss:
-Tater…
-And unloading the day’s events together around the kitchen table
-My daily "walk-and-talk" with Rachelle
-“Candi” & “Mandi”
-Happy Hours in my front yard
-Being able to walk out my front door and, within seconds, finding a sympathetic ear or lending one
-The gentle Japanese disposition – Americans are much ruder
-Japanese bakeries
-“Taken for granted” plans with friends on Friday nights
-Japan in Autumn
-My students: Hiroko, Keiko, Ayako, and Taeko
-Not understanding stranger’s conversations in public
-Sushi
-There is a tree in Japan that blooms in September. It perfumes the entire base with the smell of apricots. I adore that smell.
-The freedom kids have in Japan
I'm proud to be an American, and so glad to be home, but I am equally proud to have called Japan my home for 4 years.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
School in Indiana
Mackenzie, Dillon and I are here in Indiana!! Tater is still in Japan where he will remain until the middle of November.
The kid's schools started last Tuesday, 10th grade for D, and 4th grade for Noodle, and things here are hopping. They are both enjoying school so far, though we have already faced a few challenges:
Noodle has so much more homework than she ever had in Atsugi. She is not feeling very appreciative of that. Around 5-6 sheets per night, verses 1-2 before. But she does like her teacher, and for that I am grateful. She has a great reputation around the school, and I think that has made us all feel better. Noodle has been acutely aware of missing her Atsugi friends, especially her old classmates. Had she stayed in Japan, she would have looped with her class and she's feeling some regret over not being with them all. She's not made any real friends here yet, but I keep telling her that it's only been 3-and-a-half days, and I think she needs to give it more time. She did tell me that she has already learned those children to steer clear of, though! Such a perceptive little thing. I think it's the Military Brat in her. Maybe it's Me in her...
Dillon is doing a bit better than his sister. He got here 2 weeks before we did and joined the football team (JV) right away. So he had already met kids before the first day of school. A distinct advantage, I must say. He is a little overwhelmed, to say the least, over the fact that the freshman class, alone, is larger than his entire Middle School/High School-Combo in Japan. But he does seem to like his classes (well, I'm, not sure if he likes them, but he hasn't said he hates them!). The first football game was last night and though our team lost, we had a good time. It was a Varsity game, so he didn't play, but he did dress, and got to experience the excitement of 2 4-A teams squaring off. The final score was 19-15 Them, but considering the 19 points were all scored in the first 6 minutes of the game, I'd say our boys had an awesome comeback. The first JV game is tomorrow night, against my alma mater, so I'll have to keep you posted.
The kid's schools started last Tuesday, 10th grade for D, and 4th grade for Noodle, and things here are hopping. They are both enjoying school so far, though we have already faced a few challenges:
Noodle has so much more homework than she ever had in Atsugi. She is not feeling very appreciative of that. Around 5-6 sheets per night, verses 1-2 before. But she does like her teacher, and for that I am grateful. She has a great reputation around the school, and I think that has made us all feel better. Noodle has been acutely aware of missing her Atsugi friends, especially her old classmates. Had she stayed in Japan, she would have looped with her class and she's feeling some regret over not being with them all. She's not made any real friends here yet, but I keep telling her that it's only been 3-and-a-half days, and I think she needs to give it more time. She did tell me that she has already learned those children to steer clear of, though! Such a perceptive little thing. I think it's the Military Brat in her. Maybe it's Me in her...
Dillon is doing a bit better than his sister. He got here 2 weeks before we did and joined the football team (JV) right away. So he had already met kids before the first day of school. A distinct advantage, I must say. He is a little overwhelmed, to say the least, over the fact that the freshman class, alone, is larger than his entire Middle School/High School-Combo in Japan. But he does seem to like his classes (well, I'm, not sure if he likes them, but he hasn't said he hates them!). The first football game was last night and though our team lost, we had a good time. It was a Varsity game, so he didn't play, but he did dress, and got to experience the excitement of 2 4-A teams squaring off. The final score was 19-15 Them, but considering the 19 points were all scored in the first 6 minutes of the game, I'd say our boys had an awesome comeback. The first JV game is tomorrow night, against my alma mater, so I'll have to keep you posted.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Moving Day
Goodbye Japan. Thank you for providing a secure, fun, educational, happy place for us to live for the past 4 years.
Mackenzie and I will see you in Indiana.
Mackenzie and I will see you in Indiana.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Planning On Prozac
Wow.
Time is slipping by like sand through my fingers.
The summer is almost over but it feels like, here, it never really even got started. We have spent most of the summer preparing for the move...or should I say, series of moves.
Dillon moved permanently, on Tuesday, the 27th, back home to Indiana with my parents. He will begin school there and probably finish out the sememster before moving again, to DC.
Noodle and I are joining him in the next 2 weeks to enroll her in school and wait for Tater to finish up his job here and return to the states as well.
.....It occurs to me here, that I haven't been very forthcoming with our plans for the near future, so here it is, in the nutshell.....
We must leave Japan in November.
Tater's new job will be in DC. But not until April. From January to March he must be in Norfolk. That leaves the kids and I in a state of limbo from November until January at the earliest, April at the latest.
So we decided to send them home to start school in Indiana. Dillon in July, so he can start football practice. Noodle and I in August, in time for her to get over jet-lag before the first day of school. Hopefully, I will come back out here at the end of October for about 3 weeks to pack up the house and say goodbye for real, and then Tater and I will head, separately, to San Diego to pick up our car and drive it across the country.
If all goes according to plan, we will buy a house in DC in early December, the kids and I will move in, and he will go to Norfolk until March...
If all goes according to plan.
So now I have just over 2 weeks to organize my life for the next 5-9 months, during which we will be living out of our suitcases. Think it can be done? Without my needing Prozac?
Time is slipping by like sand through my fingers.
The summer is almost over but it feels like, here, it never really even got started. We have spent most of the summer preparing for the move...or should I say, series of moves.
Dillon moved permanently, on Tuesday, the 27th, back home to Indiana with my parents. He will begin school there and probably finish out the sememster before moving again, to DC.
Noodle and I are joining him in the next 2 weeks to enroll her in school and wait for Tater to finish up his job here and return to the states as well.
.....It occurs to me here, that I haven't been very forthcoming with our plans for the near future, so here it is, in the nutshell.....
We must leave Japan in November.
Tater's new job will be in DC. But not until April. From January to March he must be in Norfolk. That leaves the kids and I in a state of limbo from November until January at the earliest, April at the latest.
So we decided to send them home to start school in Indiana. Dillon in July, so he can start football practice. Noodle and I in August, in time for her to get over jet-lag before the first day of school. Hopefully, I will come back out here at the end of October for about 3 weeks to pack up the house and say goodbye for real, and then Tater and I will head, separately, to San Diego to pick up our car and drive it across the country.
If all goes according to plan, we will buy a house in DC in early December, the kids and I will move in, and he will go to Norfolk until March...
If all goes according to plan.
So now I have just over 2 weeks to organize my life for the next 5-9 months, during which we will be living out of our suitcases. Think it can be done? Without my needing Prozac?
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Annie, Day One Through Three
So my Girlfriend, Annie, made it up from Okinawa last Saturday. Tater and I drove up to Yokota to pick her up and since, we've been running all around the Kanto Plain.
Yesterday, we went to Kamakura to see the temples and Big Buddha down there. Annie needed some new pictures, and I think we got some really nice ones. We ended up walking 7 miles and were all beat last night.
Monday we went to Yokohama and shopped all around Landmark Tower and Queen's Plaza. She got new pictures of the Giant Ferris wheel and the really old ship (forget the name...).
Sunday was about 90 degrees, so we tried to make it a relax day and go to the pool, but after we got all ready and lotioned-up and headed out, we turned the corner from my street and ran headlong into the nastiest, blackest, scariest cloud we'd ever seen. But ever the optimist, despite the meager sprinkles on the windshield, we forged on and decided to eat some lunch first at Taco Bell. 'Cause SURELY that nasty black cloud wasn't coming our way... While in the Food Court, the sprinkles turned to torrents...cold torrents, which we had to sprint through to get back to the car. Then the torrents turned into pea-sized hail, which then turned into marble-sized hail by the time we got home. And the temperature was 69 degrees.
Two hours later, the sun came out, the temperature rose, and people were headed back to the pool. But not us. We had whipped up a batch of Margaritas and started cooking dinner, and heading out to the pool just didn't seem prudent any more. Regardless, we had fun anyway. Noodle, not-so-much, since she didn't have the added boost of a Margarita...
Yesterday, we went to Kamakura to see the temples and Big Buddha down there. Annie needed some new pictures, and I think we got some really nice ones. We ended up walking 7 miles and were all beat last night.
Monday we went to Yokohama and shopped all around Landmark Tower and Queen's Plaza. She got new pictures of the Giant Ferris wheel and the really old ship (forget the name...).
Sunday was about 90 degrees, so we tried to make it a relax day and go to the pool, but after we got all ready and lotioned-up and headed out, we turned the corner from my street and ran headlong into the nastiest, blackest, scariest cloud we'd ever seen. But ever the optimist, despite the meager sprinkles on the windshield, we forged on and decided to eat some lunch first at Taco Bell. 'Cause SURELY that nasty black cloud wasn't coming our way... While in the Food Court, the sprinkles turned to torrents...cold torrents, which we had to sprint through to get back to the car. Then the torrents turned into pea-sized hail, which then turned into marble-sized hail by the time we got home. And the temperature was 69 degrees.
Two hours later, the sun came out, the temperature rose, and people were headed back to the pool. But not us. We had whipped up a batch of Margaritas and started cooking dinner, and heading out to the pool just didn't seem prudent any more. Regardless, we had fun anyway. Noodle, not-so-much, since she didn't have the added boost of a Margarita...
Friday, July 09, 2004
Boogers and Fillings and Flights, Oh MY!
A special entry (when I should be cooking and cleaning for Happy Hour tonight) for my Girlfriend, Bronwyn...
So. A couple of weeks ago, I got a summer cold. (Which, by the way, is an oxymoron.*) It has morphed into a sinus infection, and I have the same slime that was on Ghostbusters colonizing in my head. (Ewww.)
**Another oxymoron: Miraclesuit. If you're so big that you need a "miracle", then maybe a swimsuit's not the answer.
I'm just sayin'.
And. Yesterday I was goofing off all day long and never really ate anything, until I did a drive-by on a tube of Pringles. I ate one. ONE. And broke a cusp off a back molar. It was 4:10pm. Dental closes at 4pm. The duty dentist didn't want to deal with it and asked me to call back at 7:15 this morning. Having not eaten anything all day, I was hungry, and cranky and needed a margarita. But with all the cold involved in frozen beverages, I didn't think that was a good idea and went and got take-out mashed potatoes from Smokey's. (Again, Ewww.)
Anyway. Fastforward to 7:15am They tried to make me an appointment for NEXT MONDAY at 10:15am. OR, if I didn't like that option, I could just come into the Dental Clinic and wait around until someone cancelled an appointment and they would work me in. Well, I was starving, and bitchy, and kept saying things like, "So you want me to come in there now, and sit around until what? 10:30? 2:30? maybe 3:30? until maybe someone cancels an appointment , and then maybe someone can see me?" Do you know what her reply was?
"Well, surely someone can see you, and if not, it's no problem to take you after hours at 4."
"After hours! I tried that yesterday! They wouldn't see me!" She asked me if I knew why.
She must have sensed I was near the breaking point and suggested that I wait at home and they would call me if someone cancelled their appointment. (FYI: I live 3 (THREE) minutes away from the clinic.)
Sold! They called at 9:20, I was back home at 10:20. They made it one massive filling and I'll have to have it crowned when we get back stateside.
My girlfriend, Annie, who lives on Okinawa, has been trying to catch a MAC (civilian translation: free) flight up here for the last 2 days. She has been to her Air Terminal 3 times so far, and I'm as-I-type waiting for a call from her telling me whether or not she got on the most recent one. There's one more tomorrow morning.
Keep your fingers crossed...
So. A couple of weeks ago, I got a summer cold. (Which, by the way, is an oxymoron.*) It has morphed into a sinus infection, and I have the same slime that was on Ghostbusters colonizing in my head. (Ewww.)
**Another oxymoron: Miraclesuit. If you're so big that you need a "miracle", then maybe a swimsuit's not the answer.
I'm just sayin'.
And. Yesterday I was goofing off all day long and never really ate anything, until I did a drive-by on a tube of Pringles. I ate one. ONE. And broke a cusp off a back molar. It was 4:10pm. Dental closes at 4pm. The duty dentist didn't want to deal with it and asked me to call back at 7:15 this morning. Having not eaten anything all day, I was hungry, and cranky and needed a margarita. But with all the cold involved in frozen beverages, I didn't think that was a good idea and went and got take-out mashed potatoes from Smokey's. (Again, Ewww.)
Anyway. Fastforward to 7:15am They tried to make me an appointment for NEXT MONDAY at 10:15am. OR, if I didn't like that option, I could just come into the Dental Clinic and wait around until someone cancelled an appointment and they would work me in. Well, I was starving, and bitchy, and kept saying things like, "So you want me to come in there now, and sit around until what? 10:30? 2:30? maybe 3:30? until maybe someone cancels an appointment , and then maybe someone can see me?" Do you know what her reply was?
"Well, surely someone can see you, and if not, it's no problem to take you after hours at 4."
"After hours! I tried that yesterday! They wouldn't see me!" She asked me if I knew why.
She must have sensed I was near the breaking point and suggested that I wait at home and they would call me if someone cancelled their appointment. (FYI: I live 3 (THREE) minutes away from the clinic.)
Sold! They called at 9:20, I was back home at 10:20. They made it one massive filling and I'll have to have it crowned when we get back stateside.
My girlfriend, Annie, who lives on Okinawa, has been trying to catch a MAC (civilian translation: free) flight up here for the last 2 days. She has been to her Air Terminal 3 times so far, and I'm as-I-type waiting for a call from her telling me whether or not she got on the most recent one. There's one more tomorrow morning.
Keep your fingers crossed...
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Three Weeks of Summer Break Gone...
Good Lord, I haven't felt like writing lately. I don't know why. I love writing. Maybe it's the heat. Or the kids always being home - or with me, at least, wherever we are. Maybe the long hours of daylight. My favorite time to write was after dinner but before Tater came home. With summer here, that is all out of whack! We're part vampire here, so we're up all hours of the night, and then sleeping in until 9 or so. We should get a handle on that.
Since school got out, here's what we've been doing:
Brownies went to Disney Sea: It was OK – don’t need to go back.
Went to a Chopin piano concert with Hiroko: Nice, but lots of yawning.
Noodle & I went to a Brownie Family end of the year picnic: Tater had a situation at work.
Saw Harry Potter: A bit disappointing.
Went to dinner at a little Italian restaurant to celebrate the girls in the club with June Birthdays: Yum.
Friday night had dinner here: Fun but I didn't like the new salad I made.
Saturday Noodle & I went to Enoshima Aquarium with Hiroko: Fun.
Sunday Noodle & I took an MWR tour to Tokyo Summerland with Rachelle & Torrey: Fun but overcast and not-so-hot.
...and Today, we ran around Machida shopping and eating at T.G.I.Friday's: Gap & Cajun Chicken Salad. Yum.
We've been a tad busy, but not really, compred to if we had school to attend. The rainy season has been very mild so when we haven't been doing that grocery-list of activites above, we've been at the pool. It did rain one day. I spent the entire day, from morning till dinner, organizing my recipes. I need more rainy days. For photos, files, closets...we'll pack out in October. I need to be organized.
I have something on my mind, but can't articulate it now. I need time to think. Until then, please keep my best friend, Jen, in your prayers. She has hit a rough patch.
Since school got out, here's what we've been doing:
Brownies went to Disney Sea: It was OK – don’t need to go back.
Went to a Chopin piano concert with Hiroko: Nice, but lots of yawning.
Noodle & I went to a Brownie Family end of the year picnic: Tater had a situation at work.
Saw Harry Potter: A bit disappointing.
Went to dinner at a little Italian restaurant to celebrate the girls in the club with June Birthdays: Yum.
Friday night had dinner here: Fun but I didn't like the new salad I made.
Saturday Noodle & I went to Enoshima Aquarium with Hiroko: Fun.
Sunday Noodle & I took an MWR tour to Tokyo Summerland with Rachelle & Torrey: Fun but overcast and not-so-hot.
...and Today, we ran around Machida shopping and eating at T.G.I.Friday's: Gap & Cajun Chicken Salad. Yum.
We've been a tad busy, but not really, compred to if we had school to attend. The rainy season has been very mild so when we haven't been doing that grocery-list of activites above, we've been at the pool. It did rain one day. I spent the entire day, from morning till dinner, organizing my recipes. I need more rainy days. For photos, files, closets...we'll pack out in October. I need to be organized.
I have something on my mind, but can't articulate it now. I need time to think. Until then, please keep my best friend, Jen, in your prayers. She has hit a rough patch.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Saturday Schizophrenia
After Rain and Gray Skies for several days, we woke up to Sunshine this morning! (The more and more I ponder my love of sunshine, the more I understand my adoration of Southern California.) I puttered and laundered until the sun reached my backyard and then took my book and basked, like a lizard, in the full glory of the sun. Until I got too hot. (And I didn't want to put on my bikini, due to my extra 15 pounds and my crazy-ass neighbors - separate, but equally annoying issues.) Then the clouds rolled back in, and we are again in the midst of the Kanto Plain Rainy Season. ICK.
From October to May I read NO (yes, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH) books. I was busy. A horrible, horrible atrocity, I know. But since April I have happily read...7? 8?...or so books. I rekindled the frenzy with"The Lovely Bones" and "The Tao of Pooh", then I had to read "Glorious Appearing" because it came out. I took a useless, sexy novel to Hawaii (so useless, that I don't even remember the name or plot!), and finished it there, then read "Summer Sisters" by Judy Blume on the plane ride back, then read "Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown in quick succession, and then devoured the "Three Sisters Trilogy" (more sex and sizzle) by Nora Roberts. I am making up, all at once, my winter-reading dry-spell. My only problem now, is trying to decide if I should read "Anna Karenina", which I have been trying to read now for 4 years, because Oprah has chosen it for her most recent selection, and I could probably scam off her notes, or read "The Dogs of Babel" (Carolyn Parkhurst), which I picked up in the bookstore because it looked interesting, or "The Rapture of Canaan" (Sheri Reynolds), simply because I haven't read it yet. OH, the indecision!!!
An on a separate, but equally schizophrenic note, I have sound blaring at me from every corner of my house tonight. D and Matt are 8 feet away, in the playroom, playing X-Box, which is howling and screaming in game-language; Tater is in the living room watching Crime TV, which I CANNOT believe I'm not also watching, because, lets face it, I'm a Crime Junkie; and I'm at the Mac typing an entry and listening to my music library -right now playing Michelle Branch, singing "Sweet Misery"- how apropos. Noodle and Twist are up in my bedroom watching "Ice Age", which I can't hear, but neither can I go up there to escape the chaos...
Maybe another glass of Shiraz...
From October to May I read NO (yes, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH) books. I was busy. A horrible, horrible atrocity, I know. But since April I have happily read...7? 8?...or so books. I rekindled the frenzy with"The Lovely Bones" and "The Tao of Pooh", then I had to read "Glorious Appearing" because it came out. I took a useless, sexy novel to Hawaii (so useless, that I don't even remember the name or plot!), and finished it there, then read "Summer Sisters" by Judy Blume on the plane ride back, then read "Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown in quick succession, and then devoured the "Three Sisters Trilogy" (more sex and sizzle) by Nora Roberts. I am making up, all at once, my winter-reading dry-spell. My only problem now, is trying to decide if I should read "Anna Karenina", which I have been trying to read now for 4 years, because Oprah has chosen it for her most recent selection, and I could probably scam off her notes, or read "The Dogs of Babel" (Carolyn Parkhurst), which I picked up in the bookstore because it looked interesting, or "The Rapture of Canaan" (Sheri Reynolds), simply because I haven't read it yet. OH, the indecision!!!
An on a separate, but equally schizophrenic note, I have sound blaring at me from every corner of my house tonight. D and Matt are 8 feet away, in the playroom, playing X-Box, which is howling and screaming in game-language; Tater is in the living room watching Crime TV, which I CANNOT believe I'm not also watching, because, lets face it, I'm a Crime Junkie; and I'm at the Mac typing an entry and listening to my music library -right now playing Michelle Branch, singing "Sweet Misery"- how apropos. Noodle and Twist are up in my bedroom watching "Ice Age", which I can't hear, but neither can I go up there to escape the chaos...
Maybe another glass of Shiraz...
Friday, June 11, 2004
Disney Sea
I have been majorly distracted by the last few weeks of the school year. We have had Parties, and Field Trips, and Ballet, (Oh MY!)...Talent Shows, and Finals, and Meetings...English Classes, Bridging Ceremonies, and Dinners. Oh, and Mac and Tater caught a nasty Fever-Chills-Sore Throat Virus last week (she almost missed the last 4 days of school, but dragged herself up just in the nick of time for the Last-Day-Bowling-and-Pizza-For-Lunch Party. Whew!)
The last day of school was to be today, but thanks to President Bush, we're all at home (for the rainy season began last week) playing X-Box, watching reruns of "Friends", channel surfing, and computer-tinkering.
So. Now. Noodle is a 4th Grader and a Junior Girl Scout, and Dillon is a Sophomore, [and I am just another year older...].
Us Girls topped off the End Of The School-Year Chaos with a trip to Disney Sea yesterday, compliments of the Brownies. We had a GREAT time, and the rain actually held off for the day. Rachelle, Torrey, Noodle and I hung out all day together, riding the "Indiana Jones" Ride 4 times, and the "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" Ride 4 times as well. We ate lunch in Ariel's Grotto, saw the Mystic Something-Or-Other Rainforest show (which looked a lot like the Broadway production of "The Lion King", but a lot wetter), rode the Carousel, bought stupid souvenirs, ate Strawberry Popcorn (but passed up the Cappuccino Corn), did the Japanese version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (no thanks), and a few other not-so-memorable rides.
At the end of the day, we were exhausted but happy. And thankful we had the two best friends a girl could ask for to spend it with us.
The last day of school was to be today, but thanks to President Bush, we're all at home (for the rainy season began last week) playing X-Box, watching reruns of "Friends", channel surfing, and computer-tinkering.
So. Now. Noodle is a 4th Grader and a Junior Girl Scout, and Dillon is a Sophomore, [and I am just another year older...].
Us Girls topped off the End Of The School-Year Chaos with a trip to Disney Sea yesterday, compliments of the Brownies. We had a GREAT time, and the rain actually held off for the day. Rachelle, Torrey, Noodle and I hung out all day together, riding the "Indiana Jones" Ride 4 times, and the "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" Ride 4 times as well. We ate lunch in Ariel's Grotto, saw the Mystic Something-Or-Other Rainforest show (which looked a lot like the Broadway production of "The Lion King", but a lot wetter), rode the Carousel, bought stupid souvenirs, ate Strawberry Popcorn (but passed up the Cappuccino Corn), did the Japanese version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (no thanks), and a few other not-so-memorable rides.
At the end of the day, we were exhausted but happy. And thankful we had the two best friends a girl could ask for to spend it with us.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Boys Are Gross. Pass It On.
Mackenzie's and 4 of her friends from dance class entered the school talent show. There might be nothing cuter than 5 third-graders, sparkly from head to toe, dancing in sync to Madonna...
They are dancing their Jazz Dance from The Recital last month. Despite issues with their music (which wouldn't play, due to the CD being an MP3 recording), lack of costumes, stage positioning, and missing dancers, they gave it their all and made it past the audition. There really wasn't any doubt - they were the only group that showed up with any discernable talent and organization.
Yay!
So they decided to practice here yesterday. Five little girls, in my front yard, CD player blaring with Madonna singing "Hollywood", shakin' their booties and rockin' out to the beat. As time wore on, I noticed a fair amount of little boys moseyin' back and forth past my house. They finally found another boy home next door, and just parked their bikes and skateboards and pretended not to watch the Solid Gold Dancers In Miniature. It's the first time I had noticed Little Boy Testosterone giving attention to My Little Girl.
Freaky.
And I wish it to stop right here and now. Can I forbid adolescence?
They are dancing their Jazz Dance from The Recital last month. Despite issues with their music (which wouldn't play, due to the CD being an MP3 recording), lack of costumes, stage positioning, and missing dancers, they gave it their all and made it past the audition. There really wasn't any doubt - they were the only group that showed up with any discernable talent and organization.
Yay!
So they decided to practice here yesterday. Five little girls, in my front yard, CD player blaring with Madonna singing "Hollywood", shakin' their booties and rockin' out to the beat. As time wore on, I noticed a fair amount of little boys moseyin' back and forth past my house. They finally found another boy home next door, and just parked their bikes and skateboards and pretended not to watch the Solid Gold Dancers In Miniature. It's the first time I had noticed Little Boy Testosterone giving attention to My Little Girl.
Freaky.
And I wish it to stop right here and now. Can I forbid adolescence?
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Margarita Monday
Sometimes I just love our life here in Oz.
Yesterday, the Kittyhawk came home, and 2 of our Dets with it. Of course, MWR planned a big To-Do for the Kittyhawk guys (even though they have only been gone 10?...12? weeks, but that's a WHOLE other rant...) and since we weren't included, we had to make our own welcome home party (for our guys who were gone 4 months...).
ANYWAY!!!, so Ang, Candi, Jen and I showed up at the squadron for the celebration (cake, cookies, sodas, speeches...), which lasted all of 45 minutes before everyone wandered back off to work, and we were left standing there, on a perfectly good Monday afternoon, with nothing to clelebrate. So we did what any truly "Fun Girl" would do...
We went back to Angie's house, raided her freezer of her Happy Hour Food, whipped up a batch of Margaritas, moved the picnic table into prime "baby viewing location", proclaimed it "Margarita Monday", and set to chatting amongst ourselves. The kids ran wild, Ang fed them corn dogs and Pizza Puffs, and at 8pm, 3 pitchers later, we decided that maybe someone should take charge and round up the troops for bed on a school night.
Happy Tequila Tuesday!!!
Yesterday, the Kittyhawk came home, and 2 of our Dets with it. Of course, MWR planned a big To-Do for the Kittyhawk guys (even though they have only been gone 10?...12? weeks, but that's a WHOLE other rant...) and since we weren't included, we had to make our own welcome home party (for our guys who were gone 4 months...).
ANYWAY!!!, so Ang, Candi, Jen and I showed up at the squadron for the celebration (cake, cookies, sodas, speeches...), which lasted all of 45 minutes before everyone wandered back off to work, and we were left standing there, on a perfectly good Monday afternoon, with nothing to clelebrate. So we did what any truly "Fun Girl" would do...
We went back to Angie's house, raided her freezer of her Happy Hour Food, whipped up a batch of Margaritas, moved the picnic table into prime "baby viewing location", proclaimed it "Margarita Monday", and set to chatting amongst ourselves. The kids ran wild, Ang fed them corn dogs and Pizza Puffs, and at 8pm, 3 pitchers later, we decided that maybe someone should take charge and round up the troops for bed on a school night.
Happy Tequila Tuesday!!!
Monday, May 24, 2004
Anne Frank Educates Another Generation
Mackenzie watched The Diary of Anne Frank yesterday. This is one of my all-time favorite books and such a powerful movie. I have read the book no less than 10 times, and seen several different versions of the movie, yet it never fails to create an ache in my heart. The cruelty and inhumanity baffle me to an extent that I cannot comprehend, and each time I relive it in either print or on the screen, I end up sobbing. Not only for the for the millions who died, but for the millions who were defeated and demoralized. What a travesty that anyone should say that The Holocaust didn't happen. I find myself weeping for Anne, that she survived 9 months in concentration camps, only to die of typhus 2 weeks before Bergen-Belsen was liberated.
Then it occured to me. Had she not died, and her diary not been published, how many people around the globe whould have been ignorant to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her diary, published in 1947, is one of the most widely read books today, read by both children and adults. Maybe she had a greater purpose in life. I stop short of saying that her suffering was meant to be, but I did say a prayer last night and thank God for the adolescent girl whose death would enlighten millions.
Then it occured to me. Had she not died, and her diary not been published, how many people around the globe whould have been ignorant to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her diary, published in 1947, is one of the most widely read books today, read by both children and adults. Maybe she had a greater purpose in life. I stop short of saying that her suffering was meant to be, but I did say a prayer last night and thank God for the adolescent girl whose death would enlighten millions.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Let It Pour, Let It Pour, Let It Pour...
Oh, where to start????
...the monster ache in my mouth/jaw/head after having a broken filling fixed...
...the fact that the only American grocery store within 20 miles can't bother to keep in stock a quarter of my shopping list but DOES have 15 different kinds of Filipino sausage...
...or the fact that Dillon was hanging out with four other 9th graders yesterday who were busted for drinking during the lunch hour - one to the point of passing out...
So much strife, SO little rum.
Has anyone seen my Tylenol-3?
...the monster ache in my mouth/jaw/head after having a broken filling fixed...
...the fact that the only American grocery store within 20 miles can't bother to keep in stock a quarter of my shopping list but DOES have 15 different kinds of Filipino sausage...
...or the fact that Dillon was hanging out with four other 9th graders yesterday who were busted for drinking during the lunch hour - one to the point of passing out...
So much strife, SO little rum.
Has anyone seen my Tylenol-3?
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Hawaii Rocks!
Ok. I'm back!
Hawaii was awesome!!
Here's the proof.
We just hung out for 7 days with long lost (well, 6 months lost, anyway) friends and drank Lava Flows* for sustenance.
The wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy to see our friends Neil and Mai get hitched.
*Lava Flow: The best drink in the world, consisting, basically, of a Pina Colada with strawberry syrup swirled in. Mmmmmmm. No reason for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you have copious amounts of Lava Flows!
Hawaii was awesome!!
Here's the proof.
We just hung out for 7 days with long lost (well, 6 months lost, anyway) friends and drank Lava Flows* for sustenance.
The wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy to see our friends Neil and Mai get hitched.
*Lava Flow: The best drink in the world, consisting, basically, of a Pina Colada with strawberry syrup swirled in. Mmmmmmm. No reason for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you have copious amounts of Lava Flows!
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Finding a Sparkle In All the Muck
Ok. Taking deep, cleansing breaths...
I'm feeling much more at peace today. I'm still horribly frustrated by the insanity of the past weekend, but am coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about it. Toxic people will come and go and it's my new mission in life to ignore and avoid them.
I have made a new friend here that I enjoy being around. Her name is Candi. (Sort of.) Though there is a 12 year difference in our ages, each time we are together we unearth, like the little sparkles that make me so happy, another similarity between us. We crack ourselves up, laughing at us, and in my book, anyone who can laugh at herself is a keeper. I know I must like her, because I've talked to her almost every day for the last couple of weeks. And that is NOT like me. I am overjoyed at the thought of spending my last months in Japan with her, but saddened at the thought of leaving her in a few months. I know what it is to watch special friends leave and either having to find new ones or go without. It makes me want to revert to my old protection mechanism of refusing to get close to anyone during my last months at a duty station. But this time I'm smarter than that. I know that by pushing her away, I would be missing out on a truly special person. And who needs THAT?
I will enjoy and cherish our budding sisterhood.
I'm feeling much more at peace today. I'm still horribly frustrated by the insanity of the past weekend, but am coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about it. Toxic people will come and go and it's my new mission in life to ignore and avoid them.
I have made a new friend here that I enjoy being around. Her name is Candi. (Sort of.) Though there is a 12 year difference in our ages, each time we are together we unearth, like the little sparkles that make me so happy, another similarity between us. We crack ourselves up, laughing at us, and in my book, anyone who can laugh at herself is a keeper. I know I must like her, because I've talked to her almost every day for the last couple of weeks. And that is NOT like me. I am overjoyed at the thought of spending my last months in Japan with her, but saddened at the thought of leaving her in a few months. I know what it is to watch special friends leave and either having to find new ones or go without. It makes me want to revert to my old protection mechanism of refusing to get close to anyone during my last months at a duty station. But this time I'm smarter than that. I know that by pushing her away, I would be missing out on a truly special person. And who needs THAT?
I will enjoy and cherish our budding sisterhood.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Spring
Well, it's the time of year that I am continuously going AWOL. Happens every Spring and Fall.
My friends and family on the other side of the world stop hearing from me for extended periods. In the Fall it happens after school resumes - projects that were put off all summer long are picked back up, the thermometer falls below 100 and we slowly creep back outside to enjoy the last hurrah of Summer...
But in the Spring...In the Spring it's the weather. It's been gorgeous here for the last couple of weeks. For a moment in Time each Spring and Fall, Tokyo feels like San Diego - blue skies, a warm breeze, birds chirping, and the whine of a lawnmower off in the distance. That is my idea of Heaven. Before the typhoons rage, the humidity cuts out oxygen, and the legions of mosquitoes appear, families are playing at the park, couples are riding bikes, Moms are walking babies, runners are lurking around every corner.
This is the Time of Year to enjoy just Being.
My friends and family on the other side of the world stop hearing from me for extended periods. In the Fall it happens after school resumes - projects that were put off all summer long are picked back up, the thermometer falls below 100 and we slowly creep back outside to enjoy the last hurrah of Summer...
But in the Spring...In the Spring it's the weather. It's been gorgeous here for the last couple of weeks. For a moment in Time each Spring and Fall, Tokyo feels like San Diego - blue skies, a warm breeze, birds chirping, and the whine of a lawnmower off in the distance. That is my idea of Heaven. Before the typhoons rage, the humidity cuts out oxygen, and the legions of mosquitoes appear, families are playing at the park, couples are riding bikes, Moms are walking babies, runners are lurking around every corner.
This is the Time of Year to enjoy just Being.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Short and Boring
Went to the gym today, for the 2nd day in a row, and I realized it had been a month since I had been there. But I did walk a lot when my mom was here - I should have been tracking those miles...oh, well, too late now. Live and learn.
My throat is killing me, and my neck and ears are starting to hurt. Allergies? Or strep. I'm starting to get nervous. It really hurts. But my eyes have been scratchy for about a week now. The pollen is REALLY flying about out there. My car even has a green haze over it.
My house is still a mess. The weather has been beautiful and I simply don't want to stay in and clean. Any day now, the rainy season will start, and we won't be outside much at all. So for now, it's play outside and do the bare minimum. Later I can deep clean.
Time for bed.
My throat is killing me, and my neck and ears are starting to hurt. Allergies? Or strep. I'm starting to get nervous. It really hurts. But my eyes have been scratchy for about a week now. The pollen is REALLY flying about out there. My car even has a green haze over it.
My house is still a mess. The weather has been beautiful and I simply don't want to stay in and clean. Any day now, the rainy season will start, and we won't be outside much at all. So for now, it's play outside and do the bare minimum. Later I can deep clean.
Time for bed.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Baby Steps
For heaven's SAKES, it's been a long time.
Partly because I've been so busy doing silly, mindless, chore-like things that would be very difficult to turn into an amusing story, and partly because it's been so long since I wrote anything down that I don't hardly even know where to start.
Mom left last Thursday (the 14th). It was a very, very, sad day, but not as sad as the partings over the last 4 years. This time I know I will be back in The States soon, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We spent her last week here doing low-key things, but still, it seems like the time just flew by and we didn't get to savor it.
Since then, I have been busy catching up on the things one neglects for 2 weeks while guests are in town. Top o' that list...Dust Bunnies. The hair, dog fur and dust congregate here at an alarming rate. They congregate and then retreat into the shadows, organizing, until it is too late, and they have the upper hand. They have some sort of early warning system, and when they see me coming, retreat further, where my Swiffer cannot reach, until I turn my back and then, there they are again! Where I have just swept!
My Dust Bunnies are mocking me.
Next, I raise the stakes to the vacuum...
Also, laundry. The laundry you don't bother to do during vacation. Bath mats, sheets, hand towels, floor rugs...stuff that takes half-a-day to dry. That explains a couple days, right there.
Balancing the checkbook.
Who am I kidding??? I haven't done that yet. Soon though. Maybe tomorrow.
Right now I have to get to Yoga.
"Baby steps".
My motto for the week.
Partly because I've been so busy doing silly, mindless, chore-like things that would be very difficult to turn into an amusing story, and partly because it's been so long since I wrote anything down that I don't hardly even know where to start.
Mom left last Thursday (the 14th). It was a very, very, sad day, but not as sad as the partings over the last 4 years. This time I know I will be back in The States soon, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We spent her last week here doing low-key things, but still, it seems like the time just flew by and we didn't get to savor it.
Since then, I have been busy catching up on the things one neglects for 2 weeks while guests are in town. Top o' that list...Dust Bunnies. The hair, dog fur and dust congregate here at an alarming rate. They congregate and then retreat into the shadows, organizing, until it is too late, and they have the upper hand. They have some sort of early warning system, and when they see me coming, retreat further, where my Swiffer cannot reach, until I turn my back and then, there they are again! Where I have just swept!
My Dust Bunnies are mocking me.
Next, I raise the stakes to the vacuum...
Also, laundry. The laundry you don't bother to do during vacation. Bath mats, sheets, hand towels, floor rugs...stuff that takes half-a-day to dry. That explains a couple days, right there.
Balancing the checkbook.
Who am I kidding??? I haven't done that yet. Soon though. Maybe tomorrow.
Right now I have to get to Yoga.
"Baby steps".
My motto for the week.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
False Advertising in Kyoto
We're having a great time with Mom so far. Mom, Noodle, Dillon and I went to Hakone last Monday and rode 2 Gondolas, ate some black hard-boiled eggs, cooked in the sulfur springs, took a pirate-ship ride on a big-ole-boat on Lake Ashino and then had a Japanese lunch, which Mom and Noodle were less than impressed with. And D'’s gratin had whole baby fish. Heads and all. Before I realized this, I was planning on sharing with him. Ick. But he ate it anyway, because fish brains and eyeballs don'’t bother him as much as I. On the way home, we stopped at the Glass Museum, which at first seemed like a bust, but ended up being really cool. It was in a building that looked like a castle and we want to move there. You are invited to visit whenever you want. AND, they had a tree there, the trunk of which was made out of silver wire, the leaves of crystal. They shimmered in the sun and we were mesmerized. We didn'’t want to leave.– You know how we like sparkly things..
And then Tuesday we (me, Mom and Noodle) left on the Bullet Train for a girls get-away in Kyoto. That afternoon, we walked around the Gion District, where the few remaining Geisha live. We didn'’t see any. But the row houses were fascinating. They were made all of wood and sat, literally, 6 inches off the narrow streets. We also visited the Food Market and sampled lots of "“weird stuff"”. We bought some pickled cucumber, but then forgot it in our hotel fridge. Bummer.
Mom says our hotel beds were for midgets, but thinks that might not be very nice. So, "“Dwarfs"”, she says instead. (Rolling on the floor, laughing out loud, I am!) And our pillows were made of beans. They sucked and our necks are sore.
Wednesday, we took a 10-hour tour of Kyoto and Nara. We were so wiped out that we fell asleep at 8pm last night (despite the midget-beds and crunchy-pillows). Kyoto talks it up big about their stuff being really old, but it turns out, its really not that old, after the countless fires and rebuilding of the city. For example, the big Buddha at Nara -– his legs are 1200 years old, but then there was a fire and most of his body melted. So 800 years ago, they recast his body and head. Then, there was another fire, and his head melted off. So they remade it out of wood. Then, the wood rotted and his head fell off again. Apparently, they didn'’t have any money, so he sat outside, headless, for 400 years until they could recast his head out of bronze. His head is ONLY 300 years old. We were not so impressed.
Also, Mom walked in on 2 Japanese men standing at urinals. She was not so impressed.
Then our train didn't leave until 3:30 this afternoon so we had some time to mosey around a bit more. We checked out a temple (Which, of course, wasn'’t as old as they'’re spouting off either -– it was barely 100 years old, after the fires and all. Big deal. Mom grew up in a house older than THAT!!!) and then we walked through a beautiful, tiny garden, tucked away behind a stone wall, about 5 blocks from Kyoto Station. Then we stopped for a Starbucks and a quick stroll through the Gap before heading back home, again on the Bullet Train (which, by the way, is really cool!).
Now it'’s 10:38 Thursday night, and time for bed. We posted a new album of our visit. Check it out if you want.
And then Tuesday we (me, Mom and Noodle) left on the Bullet Train for a girls get-away in Kyoto. That afternoon, we walked around the Gion District, where the few remaining Geisha live. We didn'’t see any. But the row houses were fascinating. They were made all of wood and sat, literally, 6 inches off the narrow streets. We also visited the Food Market and sampled lots of "“weird stuff"”. We bought some pickled cucumber, but then forgot it in our hotel fridge. Bummer.
Mom says our hotel beds were for midgets, but thinks that might not be very nice. So, "“Dwarfs"”, she says instead. (Rolling on the floor, laughing out loud, I am!) And our pillows were made of beans. They sucked and our necks are sore.
Wednesday, we took a 10-hour tour of Kyoto and Nara. We were so wiped out that we fell asleep at 8pm last night (despite the midget-beds and crunchy-pillows). Kyoto talks it up big about their stuff being really old, but it turns out, its really not that old, after the countless fires and rebuilding of the city. For example, the big Buddha at Nara -– his legs are 1200 years old, but then there was a fire and most of his body melted. So 800 years ago, they recast his body and head. Then, there was another fire, and his head melted off. So they remade it out of wood. Then, the wood rotted and his head fell off again. Apparently, they didn'’t have any money, so he sat outside, headless, for 400 years until they could recast his head out of bronze. His head is ONLY 300 years old. We were not so impressed.
Also, Mom walked in on 2 Japanese men standing at urinals. She was not so impressed.
Then our train didn't leave until 3:30 this afternoon so we had some time to mosey around a bit more. We checked out a temple (Which, of course, wasn'’t as old as they'’re spouting off either -– it was barely 100 years old, after the fires and all. Big deal. Mom grew up in a house older than THAT!!!) and then we walked through a beautiful, tiny garden, tucked away behind a stone wall, about 5 blocks from Kyoto Station. Then we stopped for a Starbucks and a quick stroll through the Gap before heading back home, again on the Bullet Train (which, by the way, is really cool!).
Now it'’s 10:38 Thursday night, and time for bed. We posted a new album of our visit. Check it out if you want.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Mom & Happy Hour (In That Order.)
My Mama comes tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!
Cara came over tonight with 2 beers to get us started, and hung out with us, talking for a couple hours, and it was nice. I love her.
I'm going to bed now because Noodle and I (Dillon got a reprive due to the expensive nature of the Narita Express) have a loooooooooooooooooong trip to and from the airport tomorrow.
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!
Cara came over tonight with 2 beers to get us started, and hung out with us, talking for a couple hours, and it was nice. I love her.
I'm going to bed now because Noodle and I (Dillon got a reprive due to the expensive nature of the Narita Express) have a loooooooooooooooooong trip to and from the airport tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Blackened Pork Chops
Did I ever mention how last week I caught our dinner on fire?
Yup.
Had to break out the fire extinguisher.
I put some nice pork chops on the grill, on medium-low, and then went back into the kitchen to complete the rest of the meal. About 5 minutes later, I went out to check on them.
My first clue was the black, rolling smoke. Flames were shooting out every hole in that grill. I turned off the gas, but the flames didn't go down. I finally got the lid lifted, but the flames didn't go down. I really, really didn't want to break out the extinguisher - that would make it a Real Emergency. Alas, I had no choice. Out from under the kitchen sink and out to the back patio I dragged the extinguisher.
Like a fireman I wielded that hose, immediately dousing the fire, choking on the smoke and chemicals.
Then I went in to call my neighbor and let her know that the black, rolling smoke she sees out her back window is under control. While I was talking I wandered through the house, back towards the patio, and what do you think I saw? Black, rolling smoke.
"Um, hold on Wendy....."
Douse, douse, douse...
"...Ok. NOW the black smoke is under control."
I checked on it about 10 more times that night. It was over.
And the kids and I went out for dinner.
Yup.
Had to break out the fire extinguisher.
I put some nice pork chops on the grill, on medium-low, and then went back into the kitchen to complete the rest of the meal. About 5 minutes later, I went out to check on them.
My first clue was the black, rolling smoke. Flames were shooting out every hole in that grill. I turned off the gas, but the flames didn't go down. I finally got the lid lifted, but the flames didn't go down. I really, really didn't want to break out the extinguisher - that would make it a Real Emergency. Alas, I had no choice. Out from under the kitchen sink and out to the back patio I dragged the extinguisher.
Like a fireman I wielded that hose, immediately dousing the fire, choking on the smoke and chemicals.
Then I went in to call my neighbor and let her know that the black, rolling smoke she sees out her back window is under control. While I was talking I wandered through the house, back towards the patio, and what do you think I saw? Black, rolling smoke.
"Um, hold on Wendy....."
Douse, douse, douse...
"...Ok. NOW the black smoke is under control."
I checked on it about 10 more times that night. It was over.
And the kids and I went out for dinner.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
The Day Spring Came to Tokyo
SPRING!!!!
Spring came yesterday! It was so beautiful. Sunny, 65-ish, not a cloud in the sky...The kind of day that makes you want to hike up your pants and play in the dirt.
But we had a ballet recital to attend yesterday, and then a celebratory lunch, and then we had to edit the video we took of the ballerinas, so we never actually made it outdoors.
But today...
Beautiful, sunny, 70-ish degrees. The kids wandered off to CCD at 9, I picked up the house a bit, my friend Ang came over and I trimmed her hair (at least she was still my friend when she left - we'll see if we're still friends tomorrow), and THEN...and THEN...
I made the first trip of the year to the flower shop! I picked up petunias, zinnias, marigolds, little purple ones I don't know the name of, straw flowers, impatiens, and 2 daisy-like shrubs for the pots that line my walk. I turned over the warm soil, and added instant color to my winter-brown entry-way. Here's a picture:
OH! I just got a call from Ang and our boys just arrived back in Tokyo from Virginia and are safe on the ground! I've gotta go! I've got things to do!
Spring came yesterday! It was so beautiful. Sunny, 65-ish, not a cloud in the sky...The kind of day that makes you want to hike up your pants and play in the dirt.
But we had a ballet recital to attend yesterday, and then a celebratory lunch, and then we had to edit the video we took of the ballerinas, so we never actually made it outdoors.
But today...
Beautiful, sunny, 70-ish degrees. The kids wandered off to CCD at 9, I picked up the house a bit, my friend Ang came over and I trimmed her hair (at least she was still my friend when she left - we'll see if we're still friends tomorrow), and THEN...and THEN...
I made the first trip of the year to the flower shop! I picked up petunias, zinnias, marigolds, little purple ones I don't know the name of, straw flowers, impatiens, and 2 daisy-like shrubs for the pots that line my walk. I turned over the warm soil, and added instant color to my winter-brown entry-way. Here's a picture:
OH! I just got a call from Ang and our boys just arrived back in Tokyo from Virginia and are safe on the ground! I've gotta go! I've got things to do!
Friday, March 26, 2004
The 50 Yard Email
Yikes!! It's 12:30am!! I need to get to bed!
I've been:
Entering a "99 Things" list (I was going to wait until my 99th entry, but it was all done and I just didn't see any point in waiting - I mean, it's not like there would be a ceremony or anything...).
And, emailing my girlfriend Candi, who lives about 50 yards from me (hmmm...didn't occur to me to ask if she had AIM or MSN...). Of course, we could have just picked up the phone and called. But I don't really like talking on the phone...plus, we were multi-tasking.
Then, while doing all-of-the-above, I got a phone email from her husband, who is not-so-much on this island right now, telling me that she should be in bed. I just got busted So Bad! Like I'm a bad influence or something...
Of course, what started the emailing frenzy was me suggesting that we start Happy Hour tomorrow around 4:30...("I'll bring the Margaritas!").
Maybe he does have a bit of a point.
I've been:
Entering a "99 Things" list (I was going to wait until my 99th entry, but it was all done and I just didn't see any point in waiting - I mean, it's not like there would be a ceremony or anything...).
And, emailing my girlfriend Candi, who lives about 50 yards from me (hmmm...didn't occur to me to ask if she had AIM or MSN...). Of course, we could have just picked up the phone and called. But I don't really like talking on the phone...plus, we were multi-tasking.
Then, while doing all-of-the-above, I got a phone email from her husband, who is not-so-much on this island right now, telling me that she should be in bed. I just got busted So Bad! Like I'm a bad influence or something...
Of course, what started the emailing frenzy was me suggesting that we start Happy Hour tomorrow around 4:30...("I'll bring the Margaritas!").
Maybe he does have a bit of a point.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Cereal for a Potluck?
More Cold Rain.
Ahhhhh, the joys of Tokyo in the Spring. And this COULD last until July. It did last year.
Yay! ANother Potluck!
So Noodle came home with a note today that said:
"Choir Celebration and Mini-Concert"
"Award Ceremony"
"Dinner & Fellowship"
"Mini-Concert"
For Christ's Sake! This is the project that wouldn't die!
"Bring your family"
"Potluck!"
They reel you in...
And then, the catch!...
"Please bring a dish...blah, blah, blah...last names beginning with E ~ M please bring a Main Dish"
Guess who's an "E ~ M".
Tater's in Norfolk this week so we've been eating cereal for dinner - do you think that counts? I can just bring a large box of Lucky Charms and a gallon of milk?
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
So yesterday, Dillon and I were in the car on the way to the commissary when we saw a young girl (about 6 or 7) chasing her dog down the street. She kept yelling at him and every time she got close, he would run off. And then he was running out into the 4-way stop where we were sitting and she started to sound frantic, so I pulled over (nowhere to park) and asked D to get out and help her. So he jogged across the street and asked if she needed some help and she just said, "No, we let him out all the time" (obviously not dealing with rocket scientists here). Then he said, "Well, do you want me to help you get him back?" She just looked at him and said, "No, my daddy doesn't like you."
Poor D. He came back to the car, his feelings all hurt. We didn't even know that kid. But her Daddy doesn't like D - we do know that much.
Ahhhhh, the joys of Tokyo in the Spring. And this COULD last until July. It did last year.
Yay! ANother Potluck!
So Noodle came home with a note today that said:
"Choir Celebration and Mini-Concert"
"Award Ceremony"
"Dinner & Fellowship"
"Mini-Concert"
For Christ's Sake! This is the project that wouldn't die!
"Bring your family"
"Potluck!"
They reel you in...
And then, the catch!...
"Please bring a dish...blah, blah, blah...last names beginning with E ~ M please bring a Main Dish"
Guess who's an "E ~ M".
Tater's in Norfolk this week so we've been eating cereal for dinner - do you think that counts? I can just bring a large box of Lucky Charms and a gallon of milk?
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
So yesterday, Dillon and I were in the car on the way to the commissary when we saw a young girl (about 6 or 7) chasing her dog down the street. She kept yelling at him and every time she got close, he would run off. And then he was running out into the 4-way stop where we were sitting and she started to sound frantic, so I pulled over (nowhere to park) and asked D to get out and help her. So he jogged across the street and asked if she needed some help and she just said, "No, we let him out all the time" (obviously not dealing with rocket scientists here). Then he said, "Well, do you want me to help you get him back?" She just looked at him and said, "No, my daddy doesn't like you."
Poor D. He came back to the car, his feelings all hurt. We didn't even know that kid. But her Daddy doesn't like D - we do know that much.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
"Share the World" Concert
The Temporary Choir Saga continues. The recording of the CD* was only the first part. Since then, the kids have practiced every day for an additional 2 weeks, re-learning the original 2 songs in Japanese and sign language, AND learning an entirely new song, half in English, half in Japanese. And FINALLY, last weekend was the 2005 World Expo promotional event in Tokyo. So..
*By the way, in the 2nd photo, Noodle's on the right side of the photo, wearing a white shirt and jeans, standing between a girl in a black shirt and a girl in a red shirt.
On BOTH Saturday and Sunday, Noodle and I dragged ourselves onto a schoolbus with 50 other kids and parents, which then hauled our butts over 2 hours each way to Tokyo, amid chatty, mouthy, whiny, bouncy, stinky, loud, misbehaving kids.
No, REALLY, I love kids...
Saturday, we went up for a rehearsal with the Japanese kids from Nara. They passed out "Share the World" sweatshirts, which all the kids would wear. Our kids sang 4 songs. FOUR. Walked to the stage once, and then we drove back home in the nasty, sleety rain from whence we came. It was a nightmare. And the entire 2 hours, a sweet little girl behind me jabbered at Noodle and I, despite our earphones. I was getting really annoyed with her and feeling crappy about it the whole time, because she really is sweet, just WAY to chattery for our sensibilities.
Then on Sunday we did it all over again. Up at 6am, at school by 7:15 and back on that hateful, hateful bus. But his time was The Real McCoy. The reason for all of those hours and hours of practice. The excitement of the kids was palpable. They behaved the entire bus-ride. No standing up, no screaming, no eating (and the jabbery girl was far, far away from me)... We got off the bus in Tokyo and walked through Roppongi Hills shopping mall, past Prada and Armani, Kate Spade & Gucci, to the outdoor arena, where the concert was to take place. Though the sun made a special appearance for us, the temperature was still a brisk 50 degrees. It didn't matter. They had on their matching sweatshirts and the Japanese kids had just spotted them. When our kids walked into the prep hall, they were immediately surrounded by the Japanese students. Most of them were older and enchanted by the younger kids. Rachel's long blonde hair, Noodle's curly mop, tiny Alexis, breakdancing Jerome...They tried communicating, them not speaking much English and us not speaking much Japanese. But it didn't matter. They smiled at each other and sang songs that summed up the experience:
"Share the World", in which children of the world pray for peace and happiness; to make our hearts beat as one. FIrst as a Ballad and then in a High-Tempo version, and "Yes, I'm In Love", a whimsical, bouncy song that just makes one smile.
They were beautiful. Singing the same song and laughing at the same jokes, from different cultural and language perspectives...and the difference was irrelevant.
Photos.
*By the way, in the 2nd photo, Noodle's on the right side of the photo, wearing a white shirt and jeans, standing between a girl in a black shirt and a girl in a red shirt.
On BOTH Saturday and Sunday, Noodle and I dragged ourselves onto a schoolbus with 50 other kids and parents, which then hauled our butts over 2 hours each way to Tokyo, amid chatty, mouthy, whiny, bouncy, stinky, loud, misbehaving kids.
No, REALLY, I love kids...
Saturday, we went up for a rehearsal with the Japanese kids from Nara. They passed out "Share the World" sweatshirts, which all the kids would wear. Our kids sang 4 songs. FOUR. Walked to the stage once, and then we drove back home in the nasty, sleety rain from whence we came. It was a nightmare. And the entire 2 hours, a sweet little girl behind me jabbered at Noodle and I, despite our earphones. I was getting really annoyed with her and feeling crappy about it the whole time, because she really is sweet, just WAY to chattery for our sensibilities.
Then on Sunday we did it all over again. Up at 6am, at school by 7:15 and back on that hateful, hateful bus. But his time was The Real McCoy. The reason for all of those hours and hours of practice. The excitement of the kids was palpable. They behaved the entire bus-ride. No standing up, no screaming, no eating (and the jabbery girl was far, far away from me)... We got off the bus in Tokyo and walked through Roppongi Hills shopping mall, past Prada and Armani, Kate Spade & Gucci, to the outdoor arena, where the concert was to take place. Though the sun made a special appearance for us, the temperature was still a brisk 50 degrees. It didn't matter. They had on their matching sweatshirts and the Japanese kids had just spotted them. When our kids walked into the prep hall, they were immediately surrounded by the Japanese students. Most of them were older and enchanted by the younger kids. Rachel's long blonde hair, Noodle's curly mop, tiny Alexis, breakdancing Jerome...They tried communicating, them not speaking much English and us not speaking much Japanese. But it didn't matter. They smiled at each other and sang songs that summed up the experience:
"Share the World", in which children of the world pray for peace and happiness; to make our hearts beat as one. FIrst as a Ballad and then in a High-Tempo version, and "Yes, I'm In Love", a whimsical, bouncy song that just makes one smile.
They were beautiful. Singing the same song and laughing at the same jokes, from different cultural and language perspectives...and the difference was irrelevant.
Photos.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Office Space. Huh?
Well, the cleaning frenzy yesterday wiped me out completely and I had to lie around today and watch 2 movies: "Office Space" and "The Devil's Advocate". Yeah, I'm a little behind the general movie-watching-population. Basically, I just hate giving up 2 hours in a row to sit down and watch TV. This rule doesn't apply, however, to "Sex and the City" and "24". I can sit and watch entire DVD's of those two shows for hours on end. I was never really a Keifer Sutherland fan, but after 2 seasons of "24", I'm finding him pretty hot, indeed.
And "Office Space". I don't really get the whole hullabaloo about it. I'm always hearing people say, "Office Space! What a great movie!" I'm going to be looking at these people a bit differently from now on. I just didn't really get the whole point and now I'm annoyed that I actually wasted 2 hours on it. (Except that it was raining out and I had a headache and probably would have been just lying around anyway.)
And this, just in... for those of you who might be going to Hawaii in May (you know who you are........), WE'LL SEE YOU THERE!!! I bought my tickets this afternoon. Well, I reserved them anyway. I got them "Military" just in case Mr. Ops flakes out on us.
Ok, I'm heading off to bed. I have a ginormous Mac OS X book to read.
And "Office Space". I don't really get the whole hullabaloo about it. I'm always hearing people say, "Office Space! What a great movie!" I'm going to be looking at these people a bit differently from now on. I just didn't really get the whole point and now I'm annoyed that I actually wasted 2 hours on it. (Except that it was raining out and I had a headache and probably would have been just lying around anyway.)
And this, just in... for those of you who might be going to Hawaii in May (you know who you are........), WE'LL SEE YOU THERE!!! I bought my tickets this afternoon. Well, I reserved them anyway. I got them "Military" just in case Mr. Ops flakes out on us.
Ok, I'm heading off to bed. I have a ginormous Mac OS X book to read.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Mid-Week Happy Hour
Why is it that I have to be the last remaining guest at every party?
Ang had a St. Paddy's Day Happy Hour. From 4:30-6:30.
Yeah. Three margaritas later, it's 8:10.
It wasn't so bad when Bron was here - she was just as reluctant to leave as I. As a matter of fact, we'd probably still be there now, and it'd be all her fault.
It's tiring being so popular...
Ang had a St. Paddy's Day Happy Hour. From 4:30-6:30.
Yeah. Three margaritas later, it's 8:10.
It wasn't so bad when Bron was here - she was just as reluctant to leave as I. As a matter of fact, we'd probably still be there now, and it'd be all her fault.
It's tiring being so popular...
Monday, March 15, 2004
Dinners, Parades, and Golf, Oh My!!!
Oh my GOSH!!! It has been so long! For the friends and family who have asked if I fell off the face of the Earth:
I'm hanging on by my fingernails!
It has just been such a couple of busy weeks! I can't even name anything specific that we've been doing (besides Spring Cleaning) that has kept me off the computer. Just a bit of everything. Let's backtrack a bit...
Friday Night we went out with a rank-, age- and personality-diverse group of 16. We went to Garlic Jo's in Yokohama, though the extra couple that brought our numbers up to 18 ended up at Garlic Jo's at Grandberry Mall, about 20 miles away from the rest of us...(We'll assume they had a very nice time too.) All went well, everyone avoiding all possible mine-fields, and we had a great time. Strange, but great. Then we went to The Crub and all was very boring. No DJ, no dance music, no Cara, and no people. We drank a couple beers and then headed on home around 12:30. On the way, we merged with one of our more "spirited" wives, who followed Tater and I home, stole Candi's Irish Flag, got into a fight with the neighbor-guy, and ended up sleeping on our couch (but don't worry - I called her overnight babysitter and told her where she was).
On Saturday Tater and I went to Zama to buy Crap We Don't Need. But we had lots of fun doing it, and then stopped at the store to buy steaks and cheesecake for dinner. Yum. (And yes, you Cholesterol-Policewoman-with-Crazy-Hair, I was thinking about you!!! - But ate it anyway.)
Then Sunday was a Great Day. We met Angie's brother, John, and his family up in Tokyo and not only Watched, but Marched In the St. Patrick's Day Parade up there. As we were watching, John's son's school marched by and we just jumped right in with them! We drank some Guinness, got some flags and shamrock stickers, and started marching. Armed Forces Radio & TV were there and taped us, the US Army Zama Marching band was there, there was a Japanese marching band behind us that played Abba's "Dancing Queen" about 5 times (HOW IRONIC IS THAT???), American and Japanese Girl Scouts (maybe because of the green outfits?), and the Tokyo Irish Wolfhound and Tokyo Irish Setter Clubs marched. It was a riot.
(Oh! And while we were marching, someone hollered out HSL-51!!!!! - We never did see who it was...)
Afterwards, we went to Meiji Shrine and looked at the weird Goth Kids hanging out in the Park. Our kids ran around a bit while we relaxed with some beers and shrimp chips, then moseyed through the shopping district on our way back to the train for the 90-minute ride home. We stumbled in the house after 7pm and were all dead to the world by 9.
THEN today, you will not believe what I did.
I played golf.
Big deal, huh? Well.
I started playing Junior Golf when I was old enough to carry 3 clubs and walk 3 holes. I continued through 10th grade, when I had an Asshole-Male-Chauvinist-Pig-coach. I quit cold turkey, mid-season (I have a tendency to do that when things aren't "Fun" anymore. I ONLY do things that are "Fun"), and have only played about 5 times in the last 22 years. But Angie invited me to go along today, so she, Candi, Megan B., and I played 9 holes at 10am. It was a beautiful day. Once I got rid of the 2 extra 6-irons, the 1 extra 5-iron, and the 1 extra Pitching Wedge from my rental bag, and got over the fact that I was missing a 7 & 8-iron, I had a great time! I wasn't as bad as I had expected, we didn't keep score, and had lunch together afterwards. I can't think of a better way to spend a gorgeous Monday Morning.
Candi got a bit cranky at her lack of actual contact with the ball. She thinks we should have beer next time. I'm willing to experiment....
I'm hanging on by my fingernails!
It has just been such a couple of busy weeks! I can't even name anything specific that we've been doing (besides Spring Cleaning) that has kept me off the computer. Just a bit of everything. Let's backtrack a bit...
Friday Night we went out with a rank-, age- and personality-diverse group of 16. We went to Garlic Jo's in Yokohama, though the extra couple that brought our numbers up to 18 ended up at Garlic Jo's at Grandberry Mall, about 20 miles away from the rest of us...(We'll assume they had a very nice time too.) All went well, everyone avoiding all possible mine-fields, and we had a great time. Strange, but great. Then we went to The Crub and all was very boring. No DJ, no dance music, no Cara, and no people. We drank a couple beers and then headed on home around 12:30. On the way, we merged with one of our more "spirited" wives, who followed Tater and I home, stole Candi's Irish Flag, got into a fight with the neighbor-guy, and ended up sleeping on our couch (but don't worry - I called her overnight babysitter and told her where she was).
On Saturday Tater and I went to Zama to buy Crap We Don't Need. But we had lots of fun doing it, and then stopped at the store to buy steaks and cheesecake for dinner. Yum. (And yes, you Cholesterol-Policewoman-with-Crazy-Hair, I was thinking about you!!! - But ate it anyway.)
Then Sunday was a Great Day. We met Angie's brother, John, and his family up in Tokyo and not only Watched, but Marched In the St. Patrick's Day Parade up there. As we were watching, John's son's school marched by and we just jumped right in with them! We drank some Guinness, got some flags and shamrock stickers, and started marching. Armed Forces Radio & TV were there and taped us, the US Army Zama Marching band was there, there was a Japanese marching band behind us that played Abba's "Dancing Queen" about 5 times (HOW IRONIC IS THAT???), American and Japanese Girl Scouts (maybe because of the green outfits?), and the Tokyo Irish Wolfhound and Tokyo Irish Setter Clubs marched. It was a riot.
(Oh! And while we were marching, someone hollered out HSL-51!!!!! - We never did see who it was...)
Afterwards, we went to Meiji Shrine and looked at the weird Goth Kids hanging out in the Park. Our kids ran around a bit while we relaxed with some beers and shrimp chips, then moseyed through the shopping district on our way back to the train for the 90-minute ride home. We stumbled in the house after 7pm and were all dead to the world by 9.
THEN today, you will not believe what I did.
I played golf.
Big deal, huh? Well.
I started playing Junior Golf when I was old enough to carry 3 clubs and walk 3 holes. I continued through 10th grade, when I had an Asshole-Male-Chauvinist-Pig-coach. I quit cold turkey, mid-season (I have a tendency to do that when things aren't "Fun" anymore. I ONLY do things that are "Fun"), and have only played about 5 times in the last 22 years. But Angie invited me to go along today, so she, Candi, Megan B., and I played 9 holes at 10am. It was a beautiful day. Once I got rid of the 2 extra 6-irons, the 1 extra 5-iron, and the 1 extra Pitching Wedge from my rental bag, and got over the fact that I was missing a 7 & 8-iron, I had a great time! I wasn't as bad as I had expected, we didn't keep score, and had lunch together afterwards. I can't think of a better way to spend a gorgeous Monday Morning.
Candi got a bit cranky at her lack of actual contact with the ball. She thinks we should have beer next time. I'm willing to experiment....
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Monday, March 08, 2004
Sun, Snow, Sun. And New Shoes.
I know it doesn't look like it, but I did type out an entry yesterday. You just can't see it. And why do you think you can't see it? Because my Tater-man was on my Mac so I typed it out on the piece-of-shit PC which promptly lost it when I hit "send" (...or "done" - whatever). When I was using the PC every day, I remembered to copy everything before sending it out into cyber-space unprotected but what is it - 10 days to break a habit? Well, we're well past that limit and since I never fully recovered from my pregnancy memory-loss (times two) then I should just chalk it up to Things To Be Expected And Not Bitch About Them Later.
Stupid, stupid, evil PC...
So yesterday, I wanted to make mention of our Crazy Japanese Weather. When we woke up yesterday morning, it was a sunny 52 degrees (so I put on a light shirt). By noon it was grey and coudy and snowing (so I added a leather coat and scarf). By 2, sunny again - not a cloud in the sky (ditched the scarf...). I can't deal with that crap. I like to know what the weather has in store for me. How to dress. Whether or not to bring an umbrella. Huh. That explains why I liked San Diego so much...
I bought new shoes at Zama yesterday. I know for most people, that would not be such an accomplishment. But here, to find shoes you like, that fit you and are quality is a near impossibility. They are black high-heel leather Tommy Hilfiger clogs. Now, in general, I have an aversion to anything Tommy Hilfiger, due to the blatant self-advertising he puts on EVERYTHING and then charges an arm and a leg for people to prance around town in them. Usually with their belly-buttons hanging out. That is NOT ok.
But... in such extreme conditions, one must not be too unbending. My choices here are severely limited. Every SINGLE pair of shoes in the Exchange on this base were made for women at least 25 years older than my spry 36. They are those ugly faux-leather shoe-sneaker-things that usually come in beige. Or gold. (Fug.) Or low-heeled sandals...in winter...in beige...ugly low-heeled sandals.
Anyway, I love them and they make me look tall. -Er. Taller. (I will never fool anyone into thinking I am tall.) And my jeans that are too long (and they say PETITE right on them!!!) now fit a bit better. Now I just need somewhere to go.
Stupid, stupid, evil PC...
So yesterday, I wanted to make mention of our Crazy Japanese Weather. When we woke up yesterday morning, it was a sunny 52 degrees (so I put on a light shirt). By noon it was grey and coudy and snowing (so I added a leather coat and scarf). By 2, sunny again - not a cloud in the sky (ditched the scarf...). I can't deal with that crap. I like to know what the weather has in store for me. How to dress. Whether or not to bring an umbrella. Huh. That explains why I liked San Diego so much...
I bought new shoes at Zama yesterday. I know for most people, that would not be such an accomplishment. But here, to find shoes you like, that fit you and are quality is a near impossibility. They are black high-heel leather Tommy Hilfiger clogs. Now, in general, I have an aversion to anything Tommy Hilfiger, due to the blatant self-advertising he puts on EVERYTHING and then charges an arm and a leg for people to prance around town in them. Usually with their belly-buttons hanging out. That is NOT ok.
But... in such extreme conditions, one must not be too unbending. My choices here are severely limited. Every SINGLE pair of shoes in the Exchange on this base were made for women at least 25 years older than my spry 36. They are those ugly faux-leather shoe-sneaker-things that usually come in beige. Or gold. (Fug.) Or low-heeled sandals...in winter...in beige...ugly low-heeled sandals.
Anyway, I love them and they make me look tall. -Er. Taller. (I will never fool anyone into thinking I am tall.) And my jeans that are too long (and they say PETITE right on them!!!) now fit a bit better. Now I just need somewhere to go.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Mr. & Mrs. L-o-o-o-s-e-r
First of all, it's Friday night here and Holy Shit we're home!!! We could watch Survivor or something...
But we won't.
This is what happens when all your friends move. You end up drinking Rum & Cokes alone, with Noodle jabbering in one ear and D and Tater jabbering in the other, listing to your husband's hard rock bouncing off the kitchen walls through his wholly inappropriate surround-sound computer speakers, and posting a journal entry to the computer.
Have I ever mentioned that we have surround-sound speakers in 3 rooms in this 1200 sq/ft house? Living room, kitchen and master bedroom. And that we have 5 TV's? Living room, kitchen, playroom (for movies and x-box only), master bedroom & D's room? OH!! AND we still have one on the boat...And that we hardly ever watch them? Things are out of control here. Tater also has a problem with cameras (we also have 5 digital cameras...and 2 old-fashioned film-using ones).
But it's his money, and we aren't eating ramen every night, so what can I say??
(Oh. My. God. You thought I was exaggerating when I said that Noodle was jabbering in one ear and D was jabbering in the other. I was SO not embellishing. They are each about 8 inches from my head, and talking at the same time. But on the plus side, Noodle is reading this as we speak and alerting me to all typographical errors as they occur. (Because I am such a crappy typist that I have to look at the keys. I got a D- (yes, MINUS - but don't worry, I changed it to a PLUS before I got home) in typing in HS. They were still giving us that bullshit about how a girl should have secretarial skills to fall back on. Now, I didn't know much, but I knew I would NEVER be a secretary. Bosses frown on it when you argue with them... So I blew it off. Out of spite. Thus the D-. Obvoiusly Mrs. Hubule didn't appreciate my Conciencious Objection for Women's Rights.))
Oh. My. God...Again. Have I also mentioned that we have 2 computers set up in the kitchen (on 2 different desks) at the moment? The new Mac is in here, but so is the old Dell, while we make sure all files are transferred off the hard drives and they are cleaned up before we put it up in D's room.
So picture this:
I am on the Mac, D is right behind me on the Dell, and Tater is at this moment setting up his laptop so he can play on his computer too. Poor Noodle. She needs a computer. Just call us Mr. & Mrs. Geek.
Or, more appropriately Mr. & Mrs. L-o-o-o-s-e-r!
So, since it's Friday night and we were all going to be home, I asked the kids if they wanted to Order A Pizza!?!?! They both scrunched up their noses and said, "Nah." They chose the Italian Sausage Sandwiches with sauteed onion and peppers and tomato sauce and a salad on the side that I was originally going to make instead.
Weirdos.
Oh! Noodle found something to do. She's painting a rainbow at the kitchen table. I guess I'll get off here so she can have a turn.
Or keep surfing since she's obviously busy...
But we won't.
This is what happens when all your friends move. You end up drinking Rum & Cokes alone, with Noodle jabbering in one ear and D and Tater jabbering in the other, listing to your husband's hard rock bouncing off the kitchen walls through his wholly inappropriate surround-sound computer speakers, and posting a journal entry to the computer.
Have I ever mentioned that we have surround-sound speakers in 3 rooms in this 1200 sq/ft house? Living room, kitchen and master bedroom. And that we have 5 TV's? Living room, kitchen, playroom (for movies and x-box only), master bedroom & D's room? OH!! AND we still have one on the boat...And that we hardly ever watch them? Things are out of control here. Tater also has a problem with cameras (we also have 5 digital cameras...and 2 old-fashioned film-using ones).
But it's his money, and we aren't eating ramen every night, so what can I say??
(Oh. My. God. You thought I was exaggerating when I said that Noodle was jabbering in one ear and D was jabbering in the other. I was SO not embellishing. They are each about 8 inches from my head, and talking at the same time. But on the plus side, Noodle is reading this as we speak and alerting me to all typographical errors as they occur. (Because I am such a crappy typist that I have to look at the keys. I got a D- (yes, MINUS - but don't worry, I changed it to a PLUS before I got home) in typing in HS. They were still giving us that bullshit about how a girl should have secretarial skills to fall back on. Now, I didn't know much, but I knew I would NEVER be a secretary. Bosses frown on it when you argue with them... So I blew it off. Out of spite. Thus the D-. Obvoiusly Mrs. Hubule didn't appreciate my Conciencious Objection for Women's Rights.))
Oh. My. God...Again. Have I also mentioned that we have 2 computers set up in the kitchen (on 2 different desks) at the moment? The new Mac is in here, but so is the old Dell, while we make sure all files are transferred off the hard drives and they are cleaned up before we put it up in D's room.
So picture this:
I am on the Mac, D is right behind me on the Dell, and Tater is at this moment setting up his laptop so he can play on his computer too. Poor Noodle. She needs a computer. Just call us Mr. & Mrs. Geek.
Or, more appropriately Mr. & Mrs. L-o-o-o-s-e-r!
So, since it's Friday night and we were all going to be home, I asked the kids if they wanted to Order A Pizza!?!?! They both scrunched up their noses and said, "Nah." They chose the Italian Sausage Sandwiches with sauteed onion and peppers and tomato sauce and a salad on the side that I was originally going to make instead.
Weirdos.
Oh! Noodle found something to do. She's painting a rainbow at the kitchen table. I guess I'll get off here so she can have a turn.
Or keep surfing since she's obviously busy...
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Crazy-Ass Day
I'm in a rush to get off here, because when I wasn't out running the streets today (which was all day) I have been on the computer figuring out how to set up Microsoft Entourage (for the Mac). I did it, and I am the bomb. (I was having issues...)
So my house is a disaster...but I did...
-work out
-go to tanning bed (yea, yea, I know, shut up)
-shop at Zama
-lunch with Rachelle
-run errands
-return emails (some emails - I know I still owe!!)
-run Noodle to Daiei (Japanese K-Mart) for a recorder she needs for school
-read up on my iPod
-go meet Dillon in Ebina, where he was half-way home from Machida via the train when he called and wanted to meet us for dinner at Outback - how could I refuse him?
-come home and obsess about Entourage and iPod for 4 hours and here I am...
Found my black dress - it was sandwiched in a pile of sweatshirts! wooooo-hoooooo!
Exhausted, going to bed.
So my house is a disaster...but I did...
-work out
-go to tanning bed (yea, yea, I know, shut up)
-shop at Zama
-lunch with Rachelle
-run errands
-return emails (some emails - I know I still owe!!)
-run Noodle to Daiei (Japanese K-Mart) for a recorder she needs for school
-read up on my iPod
-go meet Dillon in Ebina, where he was half-way home from Machida via the train when he called and wanted to meet us for dinner at Outback - how could I refuse him?
-come home and obsess about Entourage and iPod for 4 hours and here I am...
Found my black dress - it was sandwiched in a pile of sweatshirts! wooooo-hoooooo!
Exhausted, going to bed.
Monday, March 01, 2004
Missing Dresses & Lenten Sacrifice
We had a really busy weekend - The Really Stupid Farewell on Friday, a wetting down on Saturday (Wojo's), for which the guy spent a small fortune on food & an open bar, and hardly anyone showed up. Me, Candi and Ang were the only wives there (file that under Big Freakin' Surprises - Cara would have been there but she's in the states), and not so many guys were there...maybe 20? Poor Woj. Then on Sunday we went out to dinner with Drew to Outback. I've decided it's my favorite foreign restaurant...
Has anyone seen my new black t-shirt dress? I got it in the mail about 3 weeks ago and tried it on and haven't seen it since. I think it's somewhere in my closet, but that doesn't really narrow it down at all...we have a walk-in...actually, it's more of a "stand-in" closet. About 6 feet of hanger-space to share and an empty 4 foot wall. So we put up some shelves there and that's where my jeans, tees, workout clothes...actually, pretty much everything that's not hung up goes on those shelves. Because my Tater-man has control of the 6-drawer dresser... AND the armoire....
Just occuring to me... I'm getting screwed.
Anyway, so I've lost this dress somewhere in my house and it's really starting to bug me. I'm starting to obsess about it. I actually had a hard time sleeping last night for racking my brain trying to figure out where it got sandwiched...I'm convinced it must be stuck between two other pieces of clothing and somehow disguised beyond all recognition. And I fear that the only way to find it is to drag EVERYTHING out of the closet. And that doesn't sound fun.
Because I thought I might get to wear it soon - it was 70 degrees last Sunday.
But then it snowed today.
I guess I can put off the destruction for a bit.
I gave up sweets for Lent. I usually do. No more ice cream after dinner, no more baking cookies just for the heck of it. No more sweets when Hiroko brings us each a piece of bakery cake. No more Doughnut Sunday Mornings (that's the kids treat for suffering through CCD).
But I gotta tell ya: It's starting to get on my nerves. I just don't take well to deprivation. Which, I realize is the point. It makes me do the exact opposite of the intended (Tater learned this pronto after we got married) so I'm thinking about giving up bourbon instead. Yes, I REALIZE I don't drink bourbon. That should make it easier. Duh.
Last year, during Lent, Tater was in the Persian Gulf doing a 6-month deployment. I wrote him and asked what sacrifice he was making. He wrote back and said, “Home, my family, air conditioning, my bed, good food, sex, and beer. Isn'’t that enough?
I thought so.
Has anyone seen my new black t-shirt dress? I got it in the mail about 3 weeks ago and tried it on and haven't seen it since. I think it's somewhere in my closet, but that doesn't really narrow it down at all...we have a walk-in...actually, it's more of a "stand-in" closet. About 6 feet of hanger-space to share and an empty 4 foot wall. So we put up some shelves there and that's where my jeans, tees, workout clothes...actually, pretty much everything that's not hung up goes on those shelves. Because my Tater-man has control of the 6-drawer dresser... AND the armoire....
Just occuring to me... I'm getting screwed.
Anyway, so I've lost this dress somewhere in my house and it's really starting to bug me. I'm starting to obsess about it. I actually had a hard time sleeping last night for racking my brain trying to figure out where it got sandwiched...I'm convinced it must be stuck between two other pieces of clothing and somehow disguised beyond all recognition. And I fear that the only way to find it is to drag EVERYTHING out of the closet. And that doesn't sound fun.
Because I thought I might get to wear it soon - it was 70 degrees last Sunday.
But then it snowed today.
I guess I can put off the destruction for a bit.
I gave up sweets for Lent. I usually do. No more ice cream after dinner, no more baking cookies just for the heck of it. No more sweets when Hiroko brings us each a piece of bakery cake. No more Doughnut Sunday Mornings (that's the kids treat for suffering through CCD).
But I gotta tell ya: It's starting to get on my nerves. I just don't take well to deprivation. Which, I realize is the point. It makes me do the exact opposite of the intended (Tater learned this pronto after we got married) so I'm thinking about giving up bourbon instead. Yes, I REALIZE I don't drink bourbon. That should make it easier. Duh.
Last year, during Lent, Tater was in the Persian Gulf doing a 6-month deployment. I wrote him and asked what sacrifice he was making. He wrote back and said, “Home, my family, air conditioning, my bed, good food, sex, and beer. Isn'’t that enough?
I thought so.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
O'Club Pasta & Mucous-y Noodle
OK!
Everyone was back to school and work today and I had a Totally Normal Day!! Wooo-hooo! After 9 days of no gym (which I can't totally blame on The All Encompassing Flu From Hell, because, let's face it - if I had REALLY wanted to get out there, I would have found the time), I returned to Yoga Class with my prerequisite 1-Mile-Warm-Up-Walk-And-Talk with Rachelle. This is where we do our much-needed catching-up from the previous day. It also serves as Therapy (what with us having to share houses with mondo Type-A husbands and all...) and it's Free!
The kids and I took Hiroko out tonight for her Birthday Dinner. It was Pasta Night at the O'Club. Generally, I try to stay away from the kitchen at The Club, but Hiroko has only been a couple of times and, really, where in Japan was I going to take her that could actually be considered a treat? So, in we went and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! It was buffet-style and you got to pick out some veggies and some pasta to give the Sautee-Guy and he sauteed them up right in front of you with a little garlic/olive-oil combo and then, if desired, they had 3 different sauces (meat sauce, tomato sauce, and alfredo) to slather it all up in. But I like my pasta with olive oil and garlic only. And a little parmesan cheese. At least I chose some vegetables! Noodle, on the other hand, chose plain pasta (yes, sauteed - baby steps!). No veggies. She did have a side of the shrimp and bacon toppings. Not mixed in, like regular people, but on the side. The WAY-side. A whole different plate. Now, sit for a moment and try to imagine me explaining this to the Japanese Buffet Guardian...
Yeah. Not easy. I finally just gave her her plate containing 3 shrimp and a teaspoon of crumbled bacon and told her to run like the wind!!!
Oh. And there was a salad bar. With foccacia bread.
By the way, Noodle is a shit. You know how, when kids are sick and they are So Horribly Busy that they don't blow their noses? And so they keep sniffing up a ginormous wad of mucous so as to not have it drip off their chin? (Because while kids ARE, by definition, Gross, they do have SOME standards.) Well, THAT. DRIVES. ME. INSANE. That gurgling, snuffling, snotty booger-dance makes me sick to my stomach. The sound of it and the mental image of it sliding down and then being sucked back up makes me want to vomit.
So she does it in my ear.
Just to tease me.
So while I'm yelling at her to blow her nose, I can't help but laugh, because that is just what a 9-year-old thinks is freakin' HILARIOUS.
She gets it from her dad.
Everyone was back to school and work today and I had a Totally Normal Day!! Wooo-hooo! After 9 days of no gym (which I can't totally blame on The All Encompassing Flu From Hell, because, let's face it - if I had REALLY wanted to get out there, I would have found the time), I returned to Yoga Class with my prerequisite 1-Mile-Warm-Up-Walk-And-Talk with Rachelle. This is where we do our much-needed catching-up from the previous day. It also serves as Therapy (what with us having to share houses with mondo Type-A husbands and all...) and it's Free!
The kids and I took Hiroko out tonight for her Birthday Dinner. It was Pasta Night at the O'Club. Generally, I try to stay away from the kitchen at The Club, but Hiroko has only been a couple of times and, really, where in Japan was I going to take her that could actually be considered a treat? So, in we went and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! It was buffet-style and you got to pick out some veggies and some pasta to give the Sautee-Guy and he sauteed them up right in front of you with a little garlic/olive-oil combo and then, if desired, they had 3 different sauces (meat sauce, tomato sauce, and alfredo) to slather it all up in. But I like my pasta with olive oil and garlic only. And a little parmesan cheese. At least I chose some vegetables! Noodle, on the other hand, chose plain pasta (yes, sauteed - baby steps!). No veggies. She did have a side of the shrimp and bacon toppings. Not mixed in, like regular people, but on the side. The WAY-side. A whole different plate. Now, sit for a moment and try to imagine me explaining this to the Japanese Buffet Guardian...
Yeah. Not easy. I finally just gave her her plate containing 3 shrimp and a teaspoon of crumbled bacon and told her to run like the wind!!!
Oh. And there was a salad bar. With foccacia bread.
By the way, Noodle is a shit. You know how, when kids are sick and they are So Horribly Busy that they don't blow their noses? And so they keep sniffing up a ginormous wad of mucous so as to not have it drip off their chin? (Because while kids ARE, by definition, Gross, they do have SOME standards.) Well, THAT. DRIVES. ME. INSANE. That gurgling, snuffling, snotty booger-dance makes me sick to my stomach. The sound of it and the mental image of it sliding down and then being sucked back up makes me want to vomit.
So she does it in my ear.
Just to tease me.
So while I'm yelling at her to blow her nose, I can't help but laugh, because that is just what a 9-year-old thinks is freakin' HILARIOUS.
She gets it from her dad.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Toaster vs. Toaster Oven - Vote Now!
Brace yourself for a Big Freakin' Surprise.
Noodle is home from school today.
So. Just a recap here:
Fever Monday. Seemed to get better and then came back Monday night.
Low fever Tuesday morning. By lunch she felt pretty good, (and there was a choir party after school) so she went to school. She came home at 3:30 after the party with a 104.4-degree fever, which went up to 105.6 and hovered there all night.
Now it's Wednesday morning, she's home again, and hovering around 102.5.
I don't hardly know what to do about her.
In the Selfish Category, I haven't been to the gym in over a week. I keep saying that I'll go at 3:30, when D gets home and can watch her, but at 3:30 I just don't FEEL like going to the gym.
ALSO (in the Selfish Category), I love my Tater-man but when he comes home at 7pm, 3 hours earlier than normal, it throws off my whole schedule. I have gotten into the habit of sending the munchkins* off to bed and then writing an entry. When he comes home I don't do that. I sit and talk to him. Not that that's a Bad Thing, just not in my Schedule of Evening Events.
*Can I still call my kids "munchkins" when one is 5 inches taller than I and the other will pass me up in a matter of a year or 2???
I've got to go. It's 10:30 and I'm sitting here as if I don't have a thing to do all day long. On the other hand, the longer I sit here, the longer I'm not balancing my checkbook...hmmmm.
Our toaster broke. It just doesn't toast anymore. Not even a little bit. So now I have to order one online because I refuse to give the Navy Exchange any more of my money. (If they can't have cold medicine when I need cold medicine or milk when I need milk or computer paper when I need computer paper, then I will take my business elsewhere. Unfortunately that means taking it an entire country away and not getting anything for 2 or more weeks, but I don't care. They are NOT getting any more of my money!) ...sooo...the question now becomes: toaster or toaster oven? I have never had a toaster oven. But it seems like such a handy little appliance for, say, cheese toast. Or garlic bread. I hear they don't make that great of actual toast, but on the other hand, it does 2 (or more) things whereas the plain-ole-toaster only toasts. If anyone has any opinion on this matter, please leave me a note as I have to make a decision in the next day or 2 so as to receive it before summer.
HRH Mackenzie is calling. She doesn't like to watch movies (she's watching Pretty Woman) alone when she's sick, Maybe I can balance my checkbook while watching the movie with her - kill 2 birds with one stone... And, I really don't need to see it for the 25th TIME!
Noodle is home from school today.
So. Just a recap here:
Fever Monday. Seemed to get better and then came back Monday night.
Low fever Tuesday morning. By lunch she felt pretty good, (and there was a choir party after school) so she went to school. She came home at 3:30 after the party with a 104.4-degree fever, which went up to 105.6 and hovered there all night.
Now it's Wednesday morning, she's home again, and hovering around 102.5.
I don't hardly know what to do about her.
In the Selfish Category, I haven't been to the gym in over a week. I keep saying that I'll go at 3:30, when D gets home and can watch her, but at 3:30 I just don't FEEL like going to the gym.
ALSO (in the Selfish Category), I love my Tater-man but when he comes home at 7pm, 3 hours earlier than normal, it throws off my whole schedule. I have gotten into the habit of sending the munchkins* off to bed and then writing an entry. When he comes home I don't do that. I sit and talk to him. Not that that's a Bad Thing, just not in my Schedule of Evening Events.
*Can I still call my kids "munchkins" when one is 5 inches taller than I and the other will pass me up in a matter of a year or 2???
I've got to go. It's 10:30 and I'm sitting here as if I don't have a thing to do all day long. On the other hand, the longer I sit here, the longer I'm not balancing my checkbook...hmmmm.
Our toaster broke. It just doesn't toast anymore. Not even a little bit. So now I have to order one online because I refuse to give the Navy Exchange any more of my money. (If they can't have cold medicine when I need cold medicine or milk when I need milk or computer paper when I need computer paper, then I will take my business elsewhere. Unfortunately that means taking it an entire country away and not getting anything for 2 or more weeks, but I don't care. They are NOT getting any more of my money!) ...sooo...the question now becomes: toaster or toaster oven? I have never had a toaster oven. But it seems like such a handy little appliance for, say, cheese toast. Or garlic bread. I hear they don't make that great of actual toast, but on the other hand, it does 2 (or more) things whereas the plain-ole-toaster only toasts. If anyone has any opinion on this matter, please leave me a note as I have to make a decision in the next day or 2 so as to receive it before summer.
HRH Mackenzie is calling. She doesn't like to watch movies (she's watching Pretty Woman) alone when she's sick, Maybe I can balance my checkbook while watching the movie with her - kill 2 birds with one stone... And, I really don't need to see it for the 25th TIME!
Monday, February 23, 2004
Disembarking the Carousel-of-Death
Noodle's sick.
No surprise there...
She woke me up at 5:00 this morning. All I had to do was touch her to know that she wasn't ok. She was burning up.
To the tune of 104.4 degrees.
Poor baby. She was so miserable. Coughing, and runny nose and fever...
Until about 1:30 this afternoon. Then she was fine. Her fever broke about then and she has been her normal, perky self, albeit a bit sniffly.
Will someone please stop the ride? I want to get off! I don't remember buying a ticket for this never-ending, germ-infested, insane carousel-of-death. We just keep passing some creepy bug around and around and around...
And I don't think it's just us. The Commissary and the In-Convenient Mart are both out of cold meds. This place is a damn petrie-dish.
This weekend I started wiping down, every day, all light-switches, doorknobs, toilet handles, faucets and hand-rails in this house with anti-bacterial wipes. I'm wondering if I'm chasing my tail in vain.
We can't even be funny and crack jokes here (as if we even have a sense of humor left) because once we start laughing, up arises a chorus of coughing and phlegm (sorry about that). And quite frankly, a few seconds of jubilation is not worth all that.
Maybe we can wait until after cold-and-flu-torture season to be funny again.
If we remember how.
No surprise there...
She woke me up at 5:00 this morning. All I had to do was touch her to know that she wasn't ok. She was burning up.
To the tune of 104.4 degrees.
Poor baby. She was so miserable. Coughing, and runny nose and fever...
Until about 1:30 this afternoon. Then she was fine. Her fever broke about then and she has been her normal, perky self, albeit a bit sniffly.
Will someone please stop the ride? I want to get off! I don't remember buying a ticket for this never-ending, germ-infested, insane carousel-of-death. We just keep passing some creepy bug around and around and around...
And I don't think it's just us. The Commissary and the In-Convenient Mart are both out of cold meds. This place is a damn petrie-dish.
This weekend I started wiping down, every day, all light-switches, doorknobs, toilet handles, faucets and hand-rails in this house with anti-bacterial wipes. I'm wondering if I'm chasing my tail in vain.
We can't even be funny and crack jokes here (as if we even have a sense of humor left) because once we start laughing, up arises a chorus of coughing and phlegm (sorry about that). And quite frankly, a few seconds of jubilation is not worth all that.
Maybe we can wait until after cold-and-flu-torture season to be funny again.
If we remember how.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
CD's & Locked-Up Knees
What a DAY!!
I don't think I mentioned it, but about 2 weeks ago, Noodle came home with a note from her Japanese Culture teacher. It was a call-out for any 3rd-6th grader to audition for a "temporary" choir for a special event. The kids were offered the opportunity to participate in recording a CD of 2 songs written by a famous Japanese jazz musician, Sadao Watanabe, for the 2005 World Exposition, to be held in Aichi, Japan. Those who made it would have 2 weeks to prepare for the recording session and would have to practice for almost 2 hours every day after school.
Well, she tried out, she made it (along with 23 other kids) and today we rode a school bus for the 2-hour trip up to Tokyo to record the songs. They were AWESOME! It's an incredibly difficult song, almost entirely made up of impossibly high notes. They recorded a slow version and an up-tempo version.
Getting ready ...
There were 8 of us moms there, and they let us watch the recording of the slower-tempo version through a sound-proof window. About half-way through the 2nd take, another mom looked over to me and said, "Is Mackenzie ok?" She looked like she was about to cry. It was really hot in there, she's exhausted by her Brownie, and singing, and ballet schedules, and she's been fighting a cold for a while, but she looked way worse then she should have, even considering all that. Then, after the 3rd take, the Japanese Culture teacher (who's been the temporary choir director) ran over to her and pulled her out of there just in the nick of time. She was about to faint. Poor thing. She started crying and crawled up on my lap. No one ever told her not to lock up her knees. So they did the 4th take sans-Noodle, while she and I rested outside in the cool breeze for a bit. We got a rice-ball and a juice, I gave her the scoop on the knee-locking-up-situation, and I made a deal with her: If she went back in there and recorded the up-tempo song, then she could skip CCD (Catholic Religious Ed) tomorrow AND, I'd take her to buy doughnuts.
WHO says bribery is not a good parenting tool???
I don't think I mentioned it, but about 2 weeks ago, Noodle came home with a note from her Japanese Culture teacher. It was a call-out for any 3rd-6th grader to audition for a "temporary" choir for a special event. The kids were offered the opportunity to participate in recording a CD of 2 songs written by a famous Japanese jazz musician, Sadao Watanabe, for the 2005 World Exposition, to be held in Aichi, Japan. Those who made it would have 2 weeks to prepare for the recording session and would have to practice for almost 2 hours every day after school.
Well, she tried out, she made it (along with 23 other kids) and today we rode a school bus for the 2-hour trip up to Tokyo to record the songs. They were AWESOME! It's an incredibly difficult song, almost entirely made up of impossibly high notes. They recorded a slow version and an up-tempo version.
Getting ready ...
There were 8 of us moms there, and they let us watch the recording of the slower-tempo version through a sound-proof window. About half-way through the 2nd take, another mom looked over to me and said, "Is Mackenzie ok?" She looked like she was about to cry. It was really hot in there, she's exhausted by her Brownie, and singing, and ballet schedules, and she's been fighting a cold for a while, but she looked way worse then she should have, even considering all that. Then, after the 3rd take, the Japanese Culture teacher (who's been the temporary choir director) ran over to her and pulled her out of there just in the nick of time. She was about to faint. Poor thing. She started crying and crawled up on my lap. No one ever told her not to lock up her knees. So they did the 4th take sans-Noodle, while she and I rested outside in the cool breeze for a bit. We got a rice-ball and a juice, I gave her the scoop on the knee-locking-up-situation, and I made a deal with her: If she went back in there and recorded the up-tempo song, then she could skip CCD (Catholic Religious Ed) tomorrow AND, I'd take her to buy doughnuts.
WHO says bribery is not a good parenting tool???
99 Things
1. My favorite color is orange.
2. I am obsessive about crosswords. Therefore, I try not to even start them.
3. I’ll argue the Pro-Harry Potter view to the death.
4. My favorite show of all time is M*A*S*H. (And I understand how dorky that is.)
5. I like my hair either very long or very short. Right now it's too short.
6. I am a Hoosier and a Boilermaker.
7. I have Rosacea - it flares up when I'm stressed out.
8. I went to college 3 miles from my kindergarten.
9. I have been to 31 states and 7 countries.
10. I don't like to be alone. (Thanks, Dad!)
11. I am short, but big-boned. (Thanks, again, Dad!)
12. I am a Macintosh convert.
13. I can recite all 50 states alphabetically.
14. I am the “big” sister to one “little” sister...
15. I call her “Baby”.
16. I believe the Best Job Ever is "Mom".
17. I love Crown Royal & Diet Ginger-ale.
18. I also love liver & onions...
19. but won't drink milk or eat cooked carrots.
20. I have 3 tattoos.
21. I have 4 kids.
22. I’d rather stay home than go out.
23. I have great parking karma.
24. I can wiggle my ears...
25. and make an origami crane.
26. I lived in Japan for 4 1/2 years.
27. I am twice divorced.
28. I despise Queen Anne Style furniture.
29. I played golf from 6-16 when I stopped cold turkey.
30. I love flannel sheets and hate silk ones.
31. I have bungy jumped and would do it again.
32. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats.
33. I am 41.
34. I am a Leo.
35. My oldest child is 20.
36. I have mild OCD.
37. I know all the words to the song, “American Pie”...
38. and taught my kids.
39. I have read all of Daphne du Maurier’s books...
40. “Rebecca” was my favorite.
41. I love to garden.
42. Loud sounds hurt my ears.
43. I hate to make phone calls...
44. almost to the point of phobia.
45. I make awesome lasagna.
46. I can NOT sing.
47. I saw a glacier in New Zealand. It looked like dirt.
48. I am a Master Procrastinator.
49. I love blue jeans with white t’s. My sister calls it my "Uniform".
50. I’ve known my oldest friend for 34 years. Her name is Karen.
51. I married my parents neighbor. It was Fate.
52. I was born during the Summer of Love...
53. which, now that I think about it, explains a lot.
54. My Myers-Briggs score is ESFJ.
55. My eyes are a weird brown/green/yellow tie-dye.
56. I make my own jewelry.
57. I don’t really like kids...
58. except my own.
59. I wear t-shirts to bed.
60. I lived in San Diego for 6 years...
61. and never swam in the Pacific.
62. Yet I lived in Florida for 2 years...
63. and swam in the Gulf of Mexico tons. (It was warmer.)
64. I hate clowns.
65. I had a baby in college.
66. Clutter makes me physically ill.
67. I love Diet Vanilla Coke, which they don't sell anymore.
68. I have a BA in Psychology...
69. and one in Criminology...
70. but I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
71. I love to cook but hate the clean up after.
72. My toenails are always painted...
73. usually red.
74. I hate working in retail. And property management.
75. I’ve been stung by a jellyfish. On the butt.
76. I won a poetry contest in 5th grade.
77. I refuse to wear pantyhose. Ever.
78. I was homecoming queen.
79. I never had braces.
80. I broke one of my toes as a child. It's been crooked ever since.
81. I lived in DC for 2 1/2 years.
82. I can order 2 beers in Spanish...
83. and apologize profusely in Japanese.
84. My dad calls me “Short”.
85. I was never a cheerleader...
86. or in a sorority. But am frequently accused of both.
87. I hate to iron.
88. I don’t scrapbook...
89. or sew. Even buttons.
90. When people say “anyways” it drives me crazy.
91. I hang up on telemarketers.
92. I can drive on the left.
93. I hate 2nd hand stores and yard sales...
94. but enjoy antique stores.
95. I’ve read “Roots” twice.
96. My parents are still married.
97. I don’t like scary movies.
98. I do yoga.
99. I love spring in Alabama & fall in Japan.
2. I am obsessive about crosswords. Therefore, I try not to even start them.
3. I’ll argue the Pro-Harry Potter view to the death.
4. My favorite show of all time is M*A*S*H. (And I understand how dorky that is.)
5. I like my hair either very long or very short. Right now it's too short.
6. I am a Hoosier and a Boilermaker.
7. I have Rosacea - it flares up when I'm stressed out.
8. I went to college 3 miles from my kindergarten.
9. I have been to 31 states and 7 countries.
10. I don't like to be alone. (Thanks, Dad!)
11. I am short, but big-boned. (Thanks, again, Dad!)
12. I am a Macintosh convert.
13. I can recite all 50 states alphabetically.
14. I am the “big” sister to one “little” sister...
15. I call her “Baby”.
16. I believe the Best Job Ever is "Mom".
17. I love Crown Royal & Diet Ginger-ale.
18. I also love liver & onions...
19. but won't drink milk or eat cooked carrots.
20. I have 3 tattoos.
21. I have 4 kids.
22. I’d rather stay home than go out.
23. I have great parking karma.
24. I can wiggle my ears...
25. and make an origami crane.
26. I lived in Japan for 4 1/2 years.
27. I am twice divorced.
28. I despise Queen Anne Style furniture.
29. I played golf from 6-16 when I stopped cold turkey.
30. I love flannel sheets and hate silk ones.
31. I have bungy jumped and would do it again.
32. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats.
33. I am 41.
34. I am a Leo.
35. My oldest child is 20.
36. I have mild OCD.
37. I know all the words to the song, “American Pie”...
38. and taught my kids.
39. I have read all of Daphne du Maurier’s books...
40. “Rebecca” was my favorite.
41. I love to garden.
42. Loud sounds hurt my ears.
43. I hate to make phone calls...
44. almost to the point of phobia.
45. I make awesome lasagna.
46. I can NOT sing.
47. I saw a glacier in New Zealand. It looked like dirt.
48. I am a Master Procrastinator.
49. I love blue jeans with white t’s. My sister calls it my "Uniform".
50. I’ve known my oldest friend for 34 years. Her name is Karen.
51. I married my parents neighbor. It was Fate.
52. I was born during the Summer of Love...
53. which, now that I think about it, explains a lot.
54. My Myers-Briggs score is ESFJ.
55. My eyes are a weird brown/green/yellow tie-dye.
56. I make my own jewelry.
57. I don’t really like kids...
58. except my own.
59. I wear t-shirts to bed.
60. I lived in San Diego for 6 years...
61. and never swam in the Pacific.
62. Yet I lived in Florida for 2 years...
63. and swam in the Gulf of Mexico tons. (It was warmer.)
64. I hate clowns.
65. I had a baby in college.
66. Clutter makes me physically ill.
67. I love Diet Vanilla Coke, which they don't sell anymore.
68. I have a BA in Psychology...
69. and one in Criminology...
70. but I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
71. I love to cook but hate the clean up after.
72. My toenails are always painted...
73. usually red.
74. I hate working in retail. And property management.
75. I’ve been stung by a jellyfish. On the butt.
76. I won a poetry contest in 5th grade.
77. I refuse to wear pantyhose. Ever.
78. I was homecoming queen.
79. I never had braces.
80. I broke one of my toes as a child. It's been crooked ever since.
81. I lived in DC for 2 1/2 years.
82. I can order 2 beers in Spanish...
83. and apologize profusely in Japanese.
84. My dad calls me “Short”.
85. I was never a cheerleader...
86. or in a sorority. But am frequently accused of both.
87. I hate to iron.
88. I don’t scrapbook...
89. or sew. Even buttons.
90. When people say “anyways” it drives me crazy.
91. I hang up on telemarketers.
92. I can drive on the left.
93. I hate 2nd hand stores and yard sales...
94. but enjoy antique stores.
95. I’ve read “Roots” twice.
96. My parents are still married.
97. I don’t like scary movies.
98. I do yoga.
99. I love spring in Alabama & fall in Japan.
Friday, February 20, 2004
Keypads and Whiners
You gotta love a new computer and all, but this keyboard is kicking my butt. For the last 5 years we've been using an ergonomic keyboard and the Mac came with a really pretty, but not-so-ergonomic keyboard and I'm making SO many mistakes and having to backtrack so much that I'm thinking about connecting the old keyboard, but I can't do that because it's UGLY and not white and it doesn't match.
So I just have to stick it out. In time, I'm sure I'll get used to it. (And about that time, Apple will probably come out with an ergonomic one...)
Tater is home again today. He is really sick, bless his heart.
But SUCH A BABY!! He can't say anything without reminding me he's sick or he hurts or he can't breathe...
He's really no fun.
But I love him anyway, and I will love him more when he is well and ornery again.
So I just have to stick it out. In time, I'm sure I'll get used to it. (And about that time, Apple will probably come out with an ergonomic one...)
Tater is home again today. He is really sick, bless his heart.
But SUCH A BABY!! He can't say anything without reminding me he's sick or he hurts or he can't breathe...
He's really no fun.
But I love him anyway, and I will love him more when he is well and ornery again.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
It's a Recurring Theme
I'm feeling much better tonight (only a stuffy nose and sore joints now...). I probably stored up some pretty good antibodies when I was sick last month so this time it didn't take me down too badly. Tater, on the other hand, has just gotten his ass kicked by the NASTY flu-bug. He never gets sick, but when he does, boy is it miserable. He is not a good patient. So I just try to stay out of his way.
I can't stay and play now. I still have tweaking to do on my new journal. It should take a few days before all the links are up and running correctly...
I can't stay and play now. I still have tweaking to do on my new journal. It should take a few days before all the links are up and running correctly...
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
The Flu, Redux
For Christ sake.
I'm sick again.
Sneezing, runny nose, headache, stiffness, sore throat, upset stomache.
Dillon is SO grounded.
But in the Two-Points-For-Me Category, I've got this computer in a headlock and I seem to be gaining the upper hand.
I'm sick again.
Sneezing, runny nose, headache, stiffness, sore throat, upset stomache.
Dillon is SO grounded.
But in the Two-Points-For-Me Category, I've got this computer in a headlock and I seem to be gaining the upper hand.
Monday, February 16, 2004
What Else? The Mac.
I know!!!
I know you people are getting tired of hearing about the new computer, but...
A) I don't care. This is MY journal.
and
2) I seriously have nothing else to talk about.
This computer-situation has completely monopolized our entire 3-day weekend. We never even made it out for our scheduled Valentine's Dinner because we were so excited to get it set up. It's 8pm now and Tater is still goofing around with it. He's connecting the 5 (yes, 5!!) surround-sound speakers as we speak. Yes, I realize that is completely uncalled for, but it's the one thing he didn't consult me on before he placed the order. Sneaky.
Today I spent the day tackling iPhoto and trying to organize our pictures. Unfortunately, we didn't have any idea what we were doing when we transferred our photo files from PC to Mac, and we did it REALLY inefficiently. It took us HOURS to organize them. It's still not great, but I can at least live with it. We can start fresh from here.
In other news, Dillon is sick again. It appears to be a nasty-ass Cold/runny nose/fever/upset stomach thing. Sound familiar?
Ok, munchkins (who should be in bed) are invading the kitchen. I better go wrangle 'em up...
I know you people are getting tired of hearing about the new computer, but...
A) I don't care. This is MY journal.
and
2) I seriously have nothing else to talk about.
This computer-situation has completely monopolized our entire 3-day weekend. We never even made it out for our scheduled Valentine's Dinner because we were so excited to get it set up. It's 8pm now and Tater is still goofing around with it. He's connecting the 5 (yes, 5!!) surround-sound speakers as we speak. Yes, I realize that is completely uncalled for, but it's the one thing he didn't consult me on before he placed the order. Sneaky.
Today I spent the day tackling iPhoto and trying to organize our pictures. Unfortunately, we didn't have any idea what we were doing when we transferred our photo files from PC to Mac, and we did it REALLY inefficiently. It took us HOURS to organize them. It's still not great, but I can at least live with it. We can start fresh from here.
In other news, Dillon is sick again. It appears to be a nasty-ass Cold/runny nose/fever/upset stomach thing. Sound familiar?
Ok, munchkins (who should be in bed) are invading the kitchen. I better go wrangle 'em up...
Mac Is Winning
Oh. My. God.
I'd love to leave a coherent entry, but the Mac, the computer, not the daughter, is kicking my ass across the pacific and back. SOON, soon, I tell ya, I'm gonna get the upper hand and put this over-priced bitch in the mother of all headlocks.
I WILL WIN.
But right now it's 1am & I have to go and get my rest for what I am sure will be a showdown of royal proportions tomorrow
I'd love to leave a coherent entry, but the Mac, the computer, not the daughter, is kicking my ass across the pacific and back. SOON, soon, I tell ya, I'm gonna get the upper hand and put this over-priced bitch in the mother of all headlocks.
I WILL WIN.
But right now it's 1am & I have to go and get my rest for what I am sure will be a showdown of royal proportions tomorrow
Sunday, February 15, 2004
The Day the New Mac Bitch-Slapped Me
And I am typing like a 1st grader on this new, not-so-ergonomic keyboard.
And I keep trying to do PC-things on it...they don't work.
And it took me several-damn-minutes to figure out how to find the Internet.
And I don't get this mouse. (It's very pretty, but useless.) Only 1 big, click button (no right-clicking going on here) and the great wheel to page-down is missing, and there is no "back" button for my thumb. It's very boring for my hand, and we'll be switching back to our old, cordless mouse ASAP.
And my friends are afraid I'm never going to leave my house again.
And there is no-erase-while-you-backspace button so obviously-located just above "enter".***
I have Stuff to do....later.
***Update***3 minutes later***I'm an Idiot. It's there, it's just called "delete". I didn't even try it, it being so inappropriately named, and all.
Saturday, February 14, 2004
Lord, Give Me the Strength
My girlfriend called last night from The States. She got an emergency call here, from her mom Tuesday night that her dad wasn't doing too well and was in the hospital. By Thursday morning she was on a plane for home and last night she called to say that the diagnosis is cancer. They gave him a couple months. He's not even 60.
I wish there was more I could do for her. I am praying for her constantly, and I'm here whenever she needs to talk, but I wish I were there. To hold her hand. And hug her. And drive her to the hospital. And cook her dinner. And listen.
I've never lost a parent.
About 5 years ago, we were faced with the possibility that Mom had cervical cancer, a notoriously unforgiving cancer. I remember thinking, over and over, until there were no other thoughts in my brain, that I still NEEDED her. That I wasn't done needing her in my daily life. I didn't know how I could face life without her and how my kids could grow up without knowing her. I remember not knowing how my dad would carry on without her.
I know that's how my girlfriend feels. It's a pain too big to wrap your brain around. And a load to heavy to shoulder alone. Your parent is supposed to die old and decrepit, when you are middle-aged and self-sufficient. Not when you are young and still need him. Not when he is young and still needed.
Lord, give me the strength to hold her up, and the words to ease her pain.
I wish there was more I could do for her. I am praying for her constantly, and I'm here whenever she needs to talk, but I wish I were there. To hold her hand. And hug her. And drive her to the hospital. And cook her dinner. And listen.
I've never lost a parent.
About 5 years ago, we were faced with the possibility that Mom had cervical cancer, a notoriously unforgiving cancer. I remember thinking, over and over, until there were no other thoughts in my brain, that I still NEEDED her. That I wasn't done needing her in my daily life. I didn't know how I could face life without her and how my kids could grow up without knowing her. I remember not knowing how my dad would carry on without her.
I know that's how my girlfriend feels. It's a pain too big to wrap your brain around. And a load to heavy to shoulder alone. Your parent is supposed to die old and decrepit, when you are middle-aged and self-sufficient. Not when you are young and still need him. Not when he is young and still needed.
Lord, give me the strength to hold her up, and the words to ease her pain.
Friday, February 13, 2004
It's Time to Parrrrrrrtay!
Hey!!!
I can't play right now...We're having ANOTHER party so I have to go vacuum.
And make Pigs-In-A-Blanket (gross).
And select tunes.
And drag down bottles of liquor.
And find some lip gloss.
Nite!
I can't play right now...We're having ANOTHER party so I have to go vacuum.
And make Pigs-In-A-Blanket (gross).
And select tunes.
And drag down bottles of liquor.
And find some lip gloss.
Nite!
Thursday, February 12, 2004
The Pointless Rambling Post
What happened to yesterday????
Has anyone seen yesterday???
Last thing I remember it was morning and Rachelle and I were at the gym where the treadmill was kicking my ass (but I got 3.1 miles out of it before it finished the job and served me up, wet and panting on a Weight-Watcher's Platter*).
(*I totally just made that crap up and I have no idea what it even means...)
Then, we showered and headed to Zama, to fulfill our promise to ourselves of standing in the tanning booth at least once a week to avoid the inevitable Translucent-Pastey-Whiteness of February. Well, we don't even listen to OURSELVES - we've been averaging every 2 weeks and at this point we're just wasting our money because by the time the 14 days have passed, any cancer-infused-fake-sun we have applied has faded and we're starting from scratch again.
But for reals...starting NOW we're going to go every week.
We did lunch, which we usually do after the fake-bake, but this time we actually chose a way-healthy and yummy salad at the Chief's Club. We usually go to Popeye's or Burger King on Zama Base (realize here, people, that our choices are brutally limited and after 4 years of Japan-land, we're tired of dining on the economy, making the Previously-Stated Restaurants seem acceptable) but this time we drove all the way back to our base and actually sat at a table, with real linens to dab our pouty mouths and fresh iced tea to drink, and solved many world-issues while eating our self-assembled salads. (My only complaint was that they didn't have my green peas on the salad bar yesterday. They had Rachelle's tuna, but not my green peas. How rude.)
I came home and did "stuff". I don't remember what, but it seems like I did a lot of "stuff" (But not the laundry. For God's sake, The Laundry (!) - it's grown tentacles and is expanding right out from under the cute wicker lid that's supposed to keep it from sight of the general audience...guess what I'm doing today)...and the next thing I knew, it was 9:30 and Tater was walking in the door, a full 2 hours earlier than normal and I hadn't even responded to my emails or written in my journal yet. If he is going to come home early (as if 9:30pm is early) then he should call me and tell me to expedite my evening rituals so as to have them completed by the time he comes home and I have to get up and discuss our daily goods and bads.
Then, instead of studying for his JPME in the living room, leaving me to do whatever I want, he needed to study his JPME off the computer via some files he downloaded and kicked me off.
Again, how RUDE! (Of course, I was just dicking around killing time and he was actually working on a professional course he has to pass ASAP, but really!)
So I shlumped myself upstairs to bed with a book - "The Sweet Potato Queen's Big-Ass Cookbook", (which I had been saving, because it's actually #3 in a series, right after "The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love" and "God Save the Sweet Potato Queens" - or vice versa- and I've read one but not the other and have been holding off until such a time as I could get to an American bookstore (don't hold your breath) and find said unread book or just remember to order it next time we place an Amazon order. But last night I just decided that it's not really a chronological-type story and it wouldn't really matter if I read them in order or not.)
.....Please hold while I go back up and find what the hell I was talking about in the Whole Entire First Place........
Oh yeah, in bed with a book...got tired by 10:30, so I turned off the light and was asleep within minutes. It is the earliest I have been to sleep in MONTHS! I got over 8 hours of sleep!!! WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!
But now, HRH Noodle is home sick with a nasty-ass Cold/Sore-throat/Fever-Thing, which is different from her nasty-ass "Mystery-Fever/Sore-throat/Bloodshot Eyes-Thing" from 2 weeks ago. But she DOES have to go to choir practice this afternoon. Hope she's feeling better by then. Drugs, that's the ticket!
Oh, and I made a Spinach-Cream Cheese Quiche for my students Tuesday night and may I just say, "YUM!!!!!"
Has anyone seen yesterday???
Last thing I remember it was morning and Rachelle and I were at the gym where the treadmill was kicking my ass (but I got 3.1 miles out of it before it finished the job and served me up, wet and panting on a Weight-Watcher's Platter*).
(*I totally just made that crap up and I have no idea what it even means...)
Then, we showered and headed to Zama, to fulfill our promise to ourselves of standing in the tanning booth at least once a week to avoid the inevitable Translucent-Pastey-Whiteness of February. Well, we don't even listen to OURSELVES - we've been averaging every 2 weeks and at this point we're just wasting our money because by the time the 14 days have passed, any cancer-infused-fake-sun we have applied has faded and we're starting from scratch again.
But for reals...starting NOW we're going to go every week.
We did lunch, which we usually do after the fake-bake, but this time we actually chose a way-healthy and yummy salad at the Chief's Club. We usually go to Popeye's or Burger King on Zama Base (realize here, people, that our choices are brutally limited and after 4 years of Japan-land, we're tired of dining on the economy, making the Previously-Stated Restaurants seem acceptable) but this time we drove all the way back to our base and actually sat at a table, with real linens to dab our pouty mouths and fresh iced tea to drink, and solved many world-issues while eating our self-assembled salads. (My only complaint was that they didn't have my green peas on the salad bar yesterday. They had Rachelle's tuna, but not my green peas. How rude.)
I came home and did "stuff". I don't remember what, but it seems like I did a lot of "stuff" (But not the laundry. For God's sake, The Laundry (!) - it's grown tentacles and is expanding right out from under the cute wicker lid that's supposed to keep it from sight of the general audience...guess what I'm doing today)...and the next thing I knew, it was 9:30 and Tater was walking in the door, a full 2 hours earlier than normal and I hadn't even responded to my emails or written in my journal yet. If he is going to come home early (as if 9:30pm is early) then he should call me and tell me to expedite my evening rituals so as to have them completed by the time he comes home and I have to get up and discuss our daily goods and bads.
Then, instead of studying for his JPME in the living room, leaving me to do whatever I want, he needed to study his JPME off the computer via some files he downloaded and kicked me off.
Again, how RUDE! (Of course, I was just dicking around killing time and he was actually working on a professional course he has to pass ASAP, but really!)
So I shlumped myself upstairs to bed with a book - "The Sweet Potato Queen's Big-Ass Cookbook", (which I had been saving, because it's actually #3 in a series, right after "The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love" and "God Save the Sweet Potato Queens" - or vice versa- and I've read one but not the other and have been holding off until such a time as I could get to an American bookstore (don't hold your breath) and find said unread book or just remember to order it next time we place an Amazon order. But last night I just decided that it's not really a chronological-type story and it wouldn't really matter if I read them in order or not.)
.....Please hold while I go back up and find what the hell I was talking about in the Whole Entire First Place........
Oh yeah, in bed with a book...got tired by 10:30, so I turned off the light and was asleep within minutes. It is the earliest I have been to sleep in MONTHS! I got over 8 hours of sleep!!! WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!
But now, HRH Noodle is home sick with a nasty-ass Cold/Sore-throat/Fever-Thing, which is different from her nasty-ass "Mystery-Fever/Sore-throat/Bloodshot Eyes-Thing" from 2 weeks ago. But she DOES have to go to choir practice this afternoon. Hope she's feeling better by then. Drugs, that's the ticket!
Oh, and I made a Spinach-Cream Cheese Quiche for my students Tuesday night and may I just say, "YUM!!!!!"
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Friday Five For Tuesday
The Friday Five.
Yes, I realize it's Tuesday night, but I don't have much to say. So here you go!
1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? - Christmas 2002, Tater, D and I bungee jumped into a gorge, from the Kawarau bridge in New Zealand.
2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of? - I seriously can't think of a thing. Maybe get another tattoo. (Right now I have one. Pooh on my hip.)
3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle) - I think my husband would disagree, but probably a 7-ish.
4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky? - I married Tater when I was 24 and D was 2, 10 months after getting divorced.
5. ... and what's the worst? - I married husband #1, after dropping out of college at 20 and moving with him 700 miles from my family. Divorce. No surprise there...
......................................
Ok. Now it's 9:30pm and I'm back with something to say. Along with half-a-zillion other people, we started watching American Idol a couple of weeks ago. And, quite frankly, I couldn't care less about any of them.
Except for the "She Bangs" Guy, William Hung from Hong Kong. I haven't been able to get him out of my head since I saw him flail about on that stage. So tonight, our Fox Channel in Armed-Forces-Land replayed the LA Auditions. The only reason I watched this show again was because I couldn't remember where William auditioned and I couldn't bear to pass up the chance to see him "Bang" again. And, sure enough, there he was. He just might be the cutest thing ever to wear a pocket-protector. He wiggled his way into my heart when Simon (who was just doing his job) told William how painful he was to watch.
And all William had to say was:
"I already gave my best. I have no regrets at all."
He was respectful and humble and I think we could use many more "Williams" in the world today.
Yes, I realize it's Tuesday night, but I don't have much to say. So here you go!
1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? - Christmas 2002, Tater, D and I bungee jumped into a gorge, from the Kawarau bridge in New Zealand.
2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of? - I seriously can't think of a thing. Maybe get another tattoo. (Right now I have one. Pooh on my hip.)
3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle) - I think my husband would disagree, but probably a 7-ish.
4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky? - I married Tater when I was 24 and D was 2, 10 months after getting divorced.
5. ... and what's the worst? - I married husband #1, after dropping out of college at 20 and moving with him 700 miles from my family. Divorce. No surprise there...
......................................
Ok. Now it's 9:30pm and I'm back with something to say. Along with half-a-zillion other people, we started watching American Idol a couple of weeks ago. And, quite frankly, I couldn't care less about any of them.
Except for the "She Bangs" Guy, William Hung from Hong Kong. I haven't been able to get him out of my head since I saw him flail about on that stage. So tonight, our Fox Channel in Armed-Forces-Land replayed the LA Auditions. The only reason I watched this show again was because I couldn't remember where William auditioned and I couldn't bear to pass up the chance to see him "Bang" again. And, sure enough, there he was. He just might be the cutest thing ever to wear a pocket-protector. He wiggled his way into my heart when Simon (who was just doing his job) told William how painful he was to watch.
And all William had to say was:
"I already gave my best. I have no regrets at all."
He was respectful and humble and I think we could use many more "Williams" in the world today.
Monday, February 09, 2004
Electronic Schizophhrenia
I'm taking a break.
As if I don't have a mondo To Do List, I decided that today would be the day that I audit our 400-CD changer. I know that there are poor lost-soul CD's in there that aren't programmed in, I'm pretty sure that 3 years ago we put our friend's "Romy and Michelle's HS Reunion" Soundtrack in there and haven't seen it since, and on top of all that, we've got CDs programmed in there that no longer exist - they've been carried off and abandoned somewhere...mostly D's room, I think. But by far, the most embarrassing situation concerning our CD-changer is that we have...
Milli Vanilli in there.
And Color Me Badd.
And Michael Jackson.
And Neil Diamond.
All mixed up with the Hootie, Uncle Kracker and Outkast, Barbara Streisand, Blink 182, and John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas.
I hear my system needs therapy.
As if I don't have a mondo To Do List, I decided that today would be the day that I audit our 400-CD changer. I know that there are poor lost-soul CD's in there that aren't programmed in, I'm pretty sure that 3 years ago we put our friend's "Romy and Michelle's HS Reunion" Soundtrack in there and haven't seen it since, and on top of all that, we've got CDs programmed in there that no longer exist - they've been carried off and abandoned somewhere...mostly D's room, I think. But by far, the most embarrassing situation concerning our CD-changer is that we have...
Milli Vanilli in there.
And Color Me Badd.
And Michael Jackson.
And Neil Diamond.
All mixed up with the Hootie, Uncle Kracker and Outkast, Barbara Streisand, Blink 182, and John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas.
I hear my system needs therapy.
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Red Wine TKO's Brandi
Hungover.
Too much red wine is NOT a good thing. If I'm not mistaken, back in October one night, Dainne, Monica and I killed several bottles and then swore it off the next day. Apparently, I forgot how crappy that felt.
Duh.
Too much red wine is NOT a good thing. If I'm not mistaken, back in October one night, Dainne, Monica and I killed several bottles and then swore it off the next day. Apparently, I forgot how crappy that felt.
Duh.
Friday, February 06, 2004
AWOL Husbands and Fingers On Fire
Friday night, 11pm, my date is still at work.
Therefore, it was a quiet night at La Casa de Pooh. Noodle and I watched "Survivor", which I never get to see because Tater and I go out virtually every Friday night (though since all of our friends have moved, I guess his second choice to going out is staying at work. If I didn't have such a strong self-image, I would have drank this ENTIRE bottle of Shiraz. But I only had one glass...)
ANYWAY, I couldn't have cared less about "Survivor", but was totally psyched to watch "Crime Night" on cable...Can you believe that for the ONE NIGHT I was actually HOME, it wasn't on!?!?! How does THAT work? I have a combo degree in Psych/Criminal Justice, and crime shows are WAY my favorite. There were a couple random crime shows on, but I had already seen them. (Except for the one about Dawn Swan in 1973 Michigan -a rape/murder - they found her killer and conviced him just a couple of years ago. HA!!! Go DNA!)
D got home from school around 5pm and kicked me off the computer (where I had been sitting, literally all day, organizing my music files and giving "unknown" artists and titles names) to play his new "Civilization" computer game that he just got in the mail (thanks, Mom!). I believe he would have stayed on here until deep into the night if I hadn't kicked him off for my turn. I'm seriously starting to re-think this no-internet- access-in-his-room-thing. If he's not playing a game, he's reading his friend's journals or chatting with them on MSN IM. I can't blame him...all his friends have moved too and that's the best way to keep in touch with them.
My friend Angie let him borrow her guitar this week because his hasn't come yet (gotta love that international shipping!) and he was getting anxious to start learning. Well, I've been practicing too, and can I tell you that the tips of my fingers are SCREAMING with every keystroke. Those steel strings are such a bitch! And C major is kicking my ass! I'm thinking that if I can't even get that one down then I might be a lost cause from the start... (I am pretty good at E and A-major, tho. Are there any songs I can play with only those 2 chords???)
Well, 11:28 and The Big T just walked in the door. Night!
Therefore, it was a quiet night at La Casa de Pooh. Noodle and I watched "Survivor", which I never get to see because Tater and I go out virtually every Friday night (though since all of our friends have moved, I guess his second choice to going out is staying at work. If I didn't have such a strong self-image, I would have drank this ENTIRE bottle of Shiraz. But I only had one glass...)
ANYWAY, I couldn't have cared less about "Survivor", but was totally psyched to watch "Crime Night" on cable...Can you believe that for the ONE NIGHT I was actually HOME, it wasn't on!?!?! How does THAT work? I have a combo degree in Psych/Criminal Justice, and crime shows are WAY my favorite. There were a couple random crime shows on, but I had already seen them. (Except for the one about Dawn Swan in 1973 Michigan -a rape/murder - they found her killer and conviced him just a couple of years ago. HA!!! Go DNA!)
D got home from school around 5pm and kicked me off the computer (where I had been sitting, literally all day, organizing my music files and giving "unknown" artists and titles names) to play his new "Civilization" computer game that he just got in the mail (thanks, Mom!). I believe he would have stayed on here until deep into the night if I hadn't kicked him off for my turn. I'm seriously starting to re-think this no-internet- access-in-his-room-thing. If he's not playing a game, he's reading his friend's journals or chatting with them on MSN IM. I can't blame him...all his friends have moved too and that's the best way to keep in touch with them.
My friend Angie let him borrow her guitar this week because his hasn't come yet (gotta love that international shipping!) and he was getting anxious to start learning. Well, I've been practicing too, and can I tell you that the tips of my fingers are SCREAMING with every keystroke. Those steel strings are such a bitch! And C major is kicking my ass! I'm thinking that if I can't even get that one down then I might be a lost cause from the start... (I am pretty good at E and A-major, tho. Are there any songs I can play with only those 2 chords???)
Well, 11:28 and The Big T just walked in the door. Night!
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Vanity or Guilt?
So here's the issue:
I'm wondering WHY I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and run 2 or 3 miles each time....
So I can stay in shape and look better?
Well, I've gained 15 pounds in the last 4 years (I blame it on "Japan" - not the excess eating and drinking) and have spent the last 4 years exercising MORE than I have since high school (maybe a year or 2 in college...).
First of all, the gym simply pisses me off. The best time (and quite frankly the only realistic time) to go is first thing in the morning. Well, unlike some of you smiley, sing-songy, perky, sinfully cheerful, bright-eyed-freaks, I do not "do" mornings well. And to have to give up my coffee, get dressed, yank my hair into a ponytail, and expose myself to the downright freezing temps (hey, 45 degrees CAN be freezing to some people - it all depends on your perspective!) by 8am puts my happy-meter into a serious funk.
Then, I'm at the gym, on the treadmill, and in 20 minutes am sweating profusely, and coughing and wheezing because my Exercise-Induced-Asthma has kicked in, and I'm flailing about, while meanwhile, some bouncy, clothes-matching, perma-smiling, skinny-ass cheerleader type is running next to me, non-stop, for 45 minutes without breaking a sweat. (I hate her.)
On top of that, I have these crappy post-gymnast, post-diver, post-ski-accident knees that just THROB after a piddly-ass 3 mile run. It makes me want to lay my butt right back down on the couch and not move for the rest of the day. There is not enough Motrin on the planet to take away the pulsating ache. And then, when I get in bed at night and I'm trying to relax, they really start mocking me with the "ha, ha, you're old and out-of-shape, and we're here to remind you by throbbing you to insanity..."
And then, after all that, I'm STILL 36 years old and only 5'3"... 5'2"... (whatever) with short, stubby arms & legs. (I'm, honestly, only inches away from being a full-blown midget.) I could run my ass off, all day long, every day, and never look like Charlize Theron.
So, I ask myself: Is going to the gym a matter of Vanity...or Guilt?
I'm wondering WHY I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and run 2 or 3 miles each time....
So I can stay in shape and look better?
Well, I've gained 15 pounds in the last 4 years (I blame it on "Japan" - not the excess eating and drinking) and have spent the last 4 years exercising MORE than I have since high school (maybe a year or 2 in college...).
First of all, the gym simply pisses me off. The best time (and quite frankly the only realistic time) to go is first thing in the morning. Well, unlike some of you smiley, sing-songy, perky, sinfully cheerful, bright-eyed-freaks, I do not "do" mornings well. And to have to give up my coffee, get dressed, yank my hair into a ponytail, and expose myself to the downright freezing temps (hey, 45 degrees CAN be freezing to some people - it all depends on your perspective!) by 8am puts my happy-meter into a serious funk.
Then, I'm at the gym, on the treadmill, and in 20 minutes am sweating profusely, and coughing and wheezing because my Exercise-Induced-Asthma has kicked in, and I'm flailing about, while meanwhile, some bouncy, clothes-matching, perma-smiling, skinny-ass cheerleader type is running next to me, non-stop, for 45 minutes without breaking a sweat. (I hate her.)
On top of that, I have these crappy post-gymnast, post-diver, post-ski-accident knees that just THROB after a piddly-ass 3 mile run. It makes me want to lay my butt right back down on the couch and not move for the rest of the day. There is not enough Motrin on the planet to take away the pulsating ache. And then, when I get in bed at night and I'm trying to relax, they really start mocking me with the "ha, ha, you're old and out-of-shape, and we're here to remind you by throbbing you to insanity..."
And then, after all that, I'm STILL 36 years old and only 5'3"... 5'2"... (whatever) with short, stubby arms & legs. (I'm, honestly, only inches away from being a full-blown midget.) I could run my ass off, all day long, every day, and never look like Charlize Theron.
So, I ask myself: Is going to the gym a matter of Vanity...or Guilt?
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
The Day School Evacuated
Never a dull moment here.
I got a call from Tater today about 12:45. He said the CO just informed him that the elementary school had been evacuated to the base gym and that I needed to go and pick up Noodle for the rest of the day. The story is that there were 2 suspicious men on the playground so they evacuated the kids while it was checked out. This is the 2nd time this has happened since we've been here. The first time, the kids sat at the gym with nothing to do for about 4 hours while the parents were, literally, blocks away and could have picked them up. They didn't inform us.
Anyway, so I rescued Noodle and her friend, Torrey, at 1, and they spent the rest of the day playing and at Brownies. They didn't even have to do homework because they were evacuated during lunchtime and their backpacks were left in the classrooms! What a deal!
The word is that the "situation" has been resolved and the kids will return to school tomorrow.
And all's well that ends well.
I got a call from Tater today about 12:45. He said the CO just informed him that the elementary school had been evacuated to the base gym and that I needed to go and pick up Noodle for the rest of the day. The story is that there were 2 suspicious men on the playground so they evacuated the kids while it was checked out. This is the 2nd time this has happened since we've been here. The first time, the kids sat at the gym with nothing to do for about 4 hours while the parents were, literally, blocks away and could have picked them up. They didn't inform us.
Anyway, so I rescued Noodle and her friend, Torrey, at 1, and they spent the rest of the day playing and at Brownies. They didn't even have to do homework because they were evacuated during lunchtime and their backpacks were left in the classrooms! What a deal!
The word is that the "situation" has been resolved and the kids will return to school tomorrow.
And all's well that ends well.
Sunday, February 01, 2004
Waxing Nostalgic
We're watching "The Real World, San Diego". Ooooooh, it makes me miss SD so much. I really never thought I'd want to live there again, but I am finding that the longer we're away, the more I think of it as "home". I miss the sunshine, the mild temps, the ocean...I miss the people, the casual atmosphere, the sportiness. I miss The Zoo, Sea World, Downtown...Julian, Hillcrest, La Jolla.
In my unconscious mind, when I think about leaving Japan and going back to The States, I instincively think we're going back to SD. Then I remember that we'll be going just about anywhere BUT. It's difficult to know that we'll be leaving Japan in the next 9 months, but not know where we'll next pitch our tent. Every other move we've made, we've known our destination for many, many months in advance. We've been able to prepare our minds for what was coming. But this time is different. Maybe part of it is that I am getting so anxious to get on with the next step in our lives...
On the flip side of that yearning is the knowledge that no matter where we go, we will not find the camaraderie and solidarity that exists within this squadron. It's hard to put into words what happens over here. You arrive, not knowing what to expect, leaving your family and any familiar support system behind, and before you know it, you have made 80 stangers into your family and best friends. Just like in a family, we have our arguments and personality clashes; we have the occasional black sheep, but on the whole, the pilots and their wives within this squadron develop exceptional and unique relationships. It's not a function of "Japan" or even this base; it is unique to this squadron, this bond that we form. We have to look out for each other in the life-changing, as well as the inconsequential situations. There is no one else to turn to. That kind of connection is something I haven't felt since I met my girlfriend Jen in college. In this crazy, ever-changing, Navy-way-of-life, we make friendships knowing that in a year, or two, or three, this person that we have gotten to know so well during this tour or that tour, will slowly slip off the radar screen of our every-day lives. That they will leave and someone new will arrive to fill the emptiness. It's so sad that we realize this and accept it, but it's a part of life for us. It's a coping mechanism. But here, for the first time in 3 tours of duty, I've allowed several closer friendships to form. I didn't even really "allow" it. It's an inevitable function of life within our squadron. And each departure, of each of these special people, has left another little hole in my heart that I must adapt to and ignore, and continue on with my every-day life. It's been a blessing and a curse at the same time, but has left me with an experience that I will treasure for a lifetime.
But it is so very draining. And because of that, I'm ready to move on. I've come to the point that I don't want to make such close relationships anymore. In the immortal words of my dad, "I don't want any more fuckin' friends. I've got enough fuckin' friends".
That's all I'm sayin'.
In my unconscious mind, when I think about leaving Japan and going back to The States, I instincively think we're going back to SD. Then I remember that we'll be going just about anywhere BUT. It's difficult to know that we'll be leaving Japan in the next 9 months, but not know where we'll next pitch our tent. Every other move we've made, we've known our destination for many, many months in advance. We've been able to prepare our minds for what was coming. But this time is different. Maybe part of it is that I am getting so anxious to get on with the next step in our lives...
On the flip side of that yearning is the knowledge that no matter where we go, we will not find the camaraderie and solidarity that exists within this squadron. It's hard to put into words what happens over here. You arrive, not knowing what to expect, leaving your family and any familiar support system behind, and before you know it, you have made 80 stangers into your family and best friends. Just like in a family, we have our arguments and personality clashes; we have the occasional black sheep, but on the whole, the pilots and their wives within this squadron develop exceptional and unique relationships. It's not a function of "Japan" or even this base; it is unique to this squadron, this bond that we form. We have to look out for each other in the life-changing, as well as the inconsequential situations. There is no one else to turn to. That kind of connection is something I haven't felt since I met my girlfriend Jen in college. In this crazy, ever-changing, Navy-way-of-life, we make friendships knowing that in a year, or two, or three, this person that we have gotten to know so well during this tour or that tour, will slowly slip off the radar screen of our every-day lives. That they will leave and someone new will arrive to fill the emptiness. It's so sad that we realize this and accept it, but it's a part of life for us. It's a coping mechanism. But here, for the first time in 3 tours of duty, I've allowed several closer friendships to form. I didn't even really "allow" it. It's an inevitable function of life within our squadron. And each departure, of each of these special people, has left another little hole in my heart that I must adapt to and ignore, and continue on with my every-day life. It's been a blessing and a curse at the same time, but has left me with an experience that I will treasure for a lifetime.
But it is so very draining. And because of that, I'm ready to move on. I've come to the point that I don't want to make such close relationships anymore. In the immortal words of my dad, "I don't want any more fuckin' friends. I've got enough fuckin' friends".
That's all I'm sayin'.
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Thursday, January 29, 2004
I'd Like My Soup With Skittles, Please
So my mom called this morning and it went like this:
"Hi Hon, did you make Chicken Soup yet? It's been proven to help you feel better."
"I don't like Chicken Soup. But I opened a can of Campbell's for Noodle."
"That doesn't count. You have to make it. Go to the store and buy a chicken."
"I'm sick. I don't want to cook."
"You need soup to make you feel better. And put on a t-shirt. You don't want to get cold."
"But, I'm not cold and I don't like Chicken Soup."
"You can put the good noodles in it."
"There are "good" noodles?"
"Well, you know, the long ones. And don't forget, it's the bones that make it work."
"Well, I DEFINITELY don't like bones in my soup."
(And then there was much sighing and eye-rolling from across the Pacific...)
"You take the bones OUT, after you've made it. And put in some carrots. You know, for color."
"I don't like carrots. If I want color in my soup, I'll just throw in some Skittles."
(more eye-rolling)
"Oh, Paige, what am I going to do with you?"
Poor Mom. I was laughing so hard at her that I threw myself into a coughing fit and she's probably on an airplane right now, headed out here to make me some Boneless, Skittleless, Chicken Soup with the "good" noodles.
"Hi Hon, did you make Chicken Soup yet? It's been proven to help you feel better."
"I don't like Chicken Soup. But I opened a can of Campbell's for Noodle."
"That doesn't count. You have to make it. Go to the store and buy a chicken."
"I'm sick. I don't want to cook."
"You need soup to make you feel better. And put on a t-shirt. You don't want to get cold."
"But, I'm not cold and I don't like Chicken Soup."
"You can put the good noodles in it."
"There are "good" noodles?"
"Well, you know, the long ones. And don't forget, it's the bones that make it work."
"Well, I DEFINITELY don't like bones in my soup."
(And then there was much sighing and eye-rolling from across the Pacific...)
"You take the bones OUT, after you've made it. And put in some carrots. You know, for color."
"I don't like carrots. If I want color in my soup, I'll just throw in some Skittles."
(more eye-rolling)
"Oh, Paige, what am I going to do with you?"
Poor Mom. I was laughing so hard at her that I threw myself into a coughing fit and she's probably on an airplane right now, headed out here to make me some Boneless, Skittleless, Chicken Soup with the "good" noodles.
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